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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955114">Shattered Sun, Scattered Stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonnie_L_Price/pseuds/Bonnie_L_Price'>Bonnie_L_Price</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XIV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amaurot (Final Fantasy XIV), Amaurotine Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Amaurotines (Final Fantasy XIV), Ascian Prime (Final Fantasy XIV) - Freeform, Ascians (Final Fantasy XIV), Blood Drinking, Blood Magic, Childhood Memories, Dark Fantasy, Dark Knight Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Dark Magic, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Memories, Mind Meld, Past Tense, Pre-Sundering (Final Fantasy XIV), Recovered Memories, Soul Bond, Temporary Character Death, The Convocation of Fourteen (Final Fantasy XIV), Underworld</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:15:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>74,470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonnie_L_Price/pseuds/Bonnie_L_Price</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 1: Chapters 1-56 - Pre-Sundering</p><p>In the ancient past, a trio of friends struggle to find their places in the world and with each other. Possessed of unusual abilities, Helios and Hades must learn to work together, lest the star crumble around them.</p><p>This part follows their lives as they grow up, become adults, and eventually take their seats as Azem, Emet-Selch, and the Chief of the Bureau of the Architect--and ends in the Sundering.</p><p>Part 2: Chapters ?-? - Post-Sundering, coming soon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azem &amp; Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV), Azem/Emet-Selch (Final Fantasy XIV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter One</h1>
<p> </p>
<p>“To think that such a young child from Aeacus was so correct in his vision…” Emet-Selch remarked, peering up at a twisted, looming mountain.</p>
<p>Far, far from Amaurot, this island stood amidst unwieldy waves, its landscape unmarked save for crude structures and the beginnings of civilization. An island which, had they not received such ominous tidings, would have been left alone in favor of lettings its peoples develop naturally.</p>
<p>Yet, the Underworld had its ways of protecting its own.</p>
<p>Especially when the natural order had been so violated.</p>
<p>Azem approached from a winding path that led to the burning village they had left behind. Sighing, he stopped by his companion and followed his gaze. “I had thought these old cults eradicated to their internal strife. Clearly, our people have not come as far as we sometimes believe.”</p>
<p>“I fear for the girl that boy mentioned. With so much else having been true…” Emet-Selch clenched his fists, red eyes reflecting anger from beneath his red mask.</p>
<p>Azem nodded. “Yes. Let us make haste, we yet have a chance to save her.”</p>
<p>The pair swiftly made their way into the mountain, passing art painted in blood and scratched symbols. Past ceremonial structures sporting ornamentation of bone, gems, and cloth. Azem lifted a hand in front of his stomach, palm up, summoning an orb of golden light.</p>
<p>Crude murals lined every inch of stone, depicting horrid monstrosities created from warped energies of the Underworld. Monsters which this remote tribe believed to be the familiars of those with natural ties to the Underworld.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Azem looked to Emet-Selch when he stopped.</p>
<p>Emet-Selch stood still, lips parted, gaze tracing the unseen. “So many souls… And so much <em>aether</em>. This child…what <em>is</em> she?”</p>
<p>Azem frowned at his companion, then honed his own senses—nothing about the child struck him as dangerous, yet she had left his companion in awe? A rare sight to behold indeed. “What was it that boy said…”</p>
<p>“I believe it was, ‘A cherished soul that must be protected, else the Underworld unravel.’” Emet-Selch brought his fingers to his chin, thinking. “We thought him simply be dramatic, and yet…”</p>
<p>“We can speculate after we save her,” Azem scoffed, beginning to walk again.</p>
<p>Soon enough, the pair spotted the end of the tunnel—an arch which opened into a large room filled with the smell of death, and had blood running in rivulets down the sloped tunnel they walked in.</p>
<p>“She is tended by the souls of the dead…” Emet-Selch remarked, stunned.</p>
<p>“Do not come any closer!” A young girl ordered from where she stood atop a pile of corpses. Blood covered her from head to toe, making it nigh impossible to determine her hair color. Upon closer examination, Azem and Emet-Selch clenched their jaws. The girl’s skin was split open in numerous places, as if she had been attacked with a sharp blade. “Identify yourselves, or you will join the rest.”</p>
<p><em>She can’t be more than fifty summers… Likely less.</em> Emet-Selch’s heart clenched, but he was the one to step forward. “We hail from a city named Amaurot, little one. I am Emet-Selch, the Hearer for the Convocation of Fourteen. This is my partner, Azem, the Shepherd.</p>
<p>“We caught wind of this island’s horrors and set out to see if we could find you before something terrible could happen to you.”</p>
<p>The girl studied the pair with piercing eyes, then her attention snapped back to Emet-Selch when he reached up to remove his mask and lower his hood. Remaining silent, the girl seemed to look right through him. After a moment, she said, “…Amaurot. The elders claimed this was a place of heretics, of those who no longer fear the Underworld and its keeper, Death—you. I though you would be taller, perhaps attended by Cerberus?”</p>
<p>At that, Azem failed to stifle a snort of laughter.</p>
<p>“Death’s partner. Life.” The girl shook her head, utterly uninterested in Azem, and returned her attention to Emet-Selch. “Well, you found me. Now what?”</p>
<p>“We wish to get you out of here and to a place where you’ll be safe. There is an island near Amaurot where people <em>worship</em> the Underworld. They can teach you to control your abilities,” Emet-Selch answered earnestly, placing a hand over his heart. “There are several little ones there similar to you, bearing a deep connection to the Underworld.”</p>
<p>“A ‘connection’…” the girl frowned slightly, then her attention snapped to the tunnel they had come from.</p>
<p><em>“Don’t let any of them escape alive!”</em> a rough voice roared.</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> will be the one who doesn’t make it out alive!” The girl snarled, pulling the souls of the dead to her. Aether warped and melded around her, her skin turning grey, her fingers and toes sporting long claws. Black, feathered wings appeared from her back, partially covered in armor the Convocation pair recognized only too well. An orb of prismatic white light appeared above her left shoulder, and an orb of red and black darkness hovered above her right.</p>
<p><em>She’s…</em> Azem started to reach out to stop the girl, but she blurred in a streak of shadows and launched down the hallway. “Emet-Selch, that girl…”</p>
<p>“We can’t let them harm her. Come!” Emet-Selch raced after the girl, following the faint traces of shadows and blue ley lines left in her passing.</p>
<p>The pair skidded to a stop when they saw the girl pull a soul from the tribe’s chieftain, holding it over one hand. Emet-Selch bristled, spying the taint of a twisted murderer carved upon the aether. Then, to their utter shock, the child closer her hand around the soul, shattering it, leaving naught behind but the purest of aether to return to the planet.</p>
<p>Sensing the aether churning, Azem dashed forward, sword and shield in hand, and leapt between the girl and the cave entrance. “Emet-Selch, if you have aught up your sleeve—”</p>
<p>“<em>Return</em>,” the girl commanded, and the violent villagers crumpled on the spot, their souls rushing to amass above her open hand. Rather than crush these, she looked up at Emet-Selch questioningly as he approached her.</p>
<p>“Little one, I ask you entrust their souls to me for judgment.” Emet-Selch knelt beside the girl, wearing a warm, friendly smile. “As Lord of the Underworld, it is <em>my</em> duty to—”</p>
<p>The girl tilted her head, studying him. “You’re not the Lord of the Underworld. You are merely fulfilling his role until he can take it. But, yes, I will return them to you.”</p>
<p>Azem frowned, watching as the girl coalesced the hundreds of souls I to a pinprick of light, then handed it to Emet-Selch. Even their predecessors hadn’t boasted such mastery over the soul. What <em>was</em> this child? The old stories of the Rulers of the Underworld had always been believed to be a myth born from the original Azem and Emet-Selch, but this child made him wonder.</p>
<p>Was this simply a matter of someone with an extraordinary gift…or was he gazing upon a little goddess in the making? What circumstances had led to her apparent mastery over umbral light and astral darkness? Or was it a fluke born of her desire for revenge against the tribe that had tried to kill her?</p>
<p>“Thank you, little one.” Emet-Selch smiled comfortingly at the girl. “Will you let us take you somewhere safe, far away from here?”</p>
<p>She thought for several long moments, then nodded. “‘Kay.”</p>
<p>“May I carry you?” Emet-Selch asked next, receiving a simple nod this time. He hefted the child onto his left hip, smiling as she clutched at his robes, then turned his attention to Azem. “I cannot claim to be looking forward to writing this report.”</p>
<p>Azem’s attention, however, was on the girl. “Can you tell us what happened here, little one?”</p>
<p>She peered at him begrudgingly, then with a quiet ‘humph’ turned her face into Emet-Selch’s chest to ignore Azem.</p>
<p>“Now, now, it <em>would</em> be helpful,” Emet-Selch reassured her. “We know little, as we were attacked upon setting foot on these shores.”</p>
<p>“They tried to ‘send me back where I came from,’” the girl answered after s moment. “Sending them there instead seemed bad. So, I trapped them in the mountain. They thought they could cut the Underworld out of me, so mean people with knives kept coming to the cave to fight me.”</p>
<p>Emet-Selch and Azem did their best to keep their expressions neutral as the girl told her tale.</p>
<p>“The Underworld said it was going to send help, that I just had to stand my grown long enough. That the Lord of the Underworld would send someone to rescue me,” the girl continued. “It was an easy to defend place. They’re scared of the mountain; they think it’s one of the points in the Crown of the Underworld—that’s why the sealed me inside and bound me to the mountain when I was a baby. They thought I would return to the Underworld.”</p>
<p>“…as a…then how did you…” Azem struggled to contain his fury.</p>
<p>“Some of the Guardians of the Underworld are really nice to me! They took care of me while I was trapped. Taught me.” The girl beamed at them. “Oh! But I’m still bound. How are we going to leave?”</p>
<p>“That would be your expertise,” Emet-Selch looked to Azem.</p>
<p>“Let us get her to the ship first. So long as it is touching land, she will be fine—and she could use a warm bath.” Azem shook his head. “Ah…what should we call you, little one? What is your name?”</p>
<p>“Don’t have one.”</p>
<p>Emet-Selch gave her a reassuring smile when he spotted her pout. “What do you think of…Helios?”</p>
<p>The girl’s face lit up and she grinned up at Emet-Selch, revealing fangs that were slightly longer than normal. “I love it! Thank you!”</p>
<p>“The journey to Aeacus is a long one, we can train you in your gift along the way,” Azem murmured, before shifting to look at an attendant as they came rushing over from the ship.</p>
<p>“The young miss Helios requires a bath, a change of attire, and a hot meal,” Emet-Selch stated, giving the attendant a look that said not to ask after the situation. “We will return shortly. See that Helios is comfortable and well-cared for.”</p>
<p>“Yes, most eminent Emet-Selch,” the attendant bowed, then looked to Azem. You and the most radiant Azem yet have work here?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Keep the ship grounded until we say otherwise.” Azem nodded, watching as Emet-Selch pried the young Helios from him with significant difficulty. <em>Such a strange girl… And for that boy to know of her. For what reason has the Underworld chosen to give so strongly of itself to their generation? What is it preparing for?</em></p>
<p>“Come, the sooner we are finished with this accursed place, the better,” Emet-Selch snapped once he was certain Helios was no longer within earshot. “The entire island must be cleansed once we unbind her. This tribe…”</p>
<p>“They were toying with forces they didn’t understand, weren’t they?” Azem grimaced, following the furious Emet-Selch. “I’ve never seen you destroy hundreds of souls without a second thought before.”</p>
<p>“They thought calling upon the Underworld in their magics would help them drain and erase it, the fools. They were putting the souls of the dead into corpses and vessels, hunting them for <em>sport</em>.” Emet-Selch shook his head hard. “Helios. She was catching drifting souls essentially from birth. They told her that her family had been claimed by the islands beasts…but they were, in truth, executed for giving birth to such a uniquely powerful child.”</p>
<p>“And so, they sealed her in the mountain, thinking an infant couldn’t survive on its own…” Azem murmured in mild distress. “…and the wounds?”</p>
<p>“The result of fighting hand and foot against those with knives and swords.” Emet-Selch shook his head. “I wish not to dwell on it. Let us make haste, and usher her unto a better morrow. Those boys from Aeacus—Hades and Hythlodaeus, yes?—I hope they will welcome her as openly as they claimed.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Two</h1><p> </p><p>Weeks later, Helios watched with interest as the ship drew closer to an island with strange buildings upon it. Like a fusion of modern life and nature, the tall structures sprawled along the shoreline—some even rising from the ocean itself. Behind the strange town, rose a forest that eventually gave way to majestic mountains.</p><p>“It will be a few hours yet before we can dock,” Emet-Selch remarked, smiling at the curious girl. “Come, why don’t you show me the progress you’ve made in controlling the forces of dark and light?”</p><p>“Okay,” Helios answered, trotting dutifully after him. Once beside a pair of crystalline instruments, Helios channeled the two forces, imbuing the crystals simultaneously and in equal measure.</p><p>“Very good!” Emet-Selch praised her. “And you’ve been practicing your bladework?”</p><p>“Yes! I need more practice, but I think I’ve got the basics down now. You…you’ll really help find me a teacher?” Helios looked up at him hopefully.</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded. “That I will. I would see your talents flourish, Helios. You were gifted them for a reason—they must not be squandered. The Underworld loves few, but those it does, it loves deeply. Remember this, as it is true of the Underworld’s dearest rulers and protectors as well.”</p><p>For the next few hours, Emet-Selch had the girl review all they had taught her on their journey. She was so eager to learn, and yet she struggled with people, understandably. He could but hope the gifted children near her in age would help her.</p><p>Once docked in Aeacus, Emet-Selch and Azem guided the suddenly timid girl into the village. Helios’s gaze flitted everywhere, overwhelmed by the significantly more modern town. By the sights, smells, sounds—even the aether.</p><p>“Althaia, good to see you,” Azem called in relief upon leading his companions into a courtyard filled with brightly colored flowers.</p><p>A woman with pale red hair looked up from her gardens with a smile, then glanced at Helios briefly. “And it is good to see you again as well, brother. Your little companion is…?”</p><p>Helios tucked herself behind Emet-Selch’s robes.</p><p>“Come now, there’s nothing to be frightened of,” Emet-Selch reassured her, placing a hand atop her head.</p><p>“…my name is Helios, miss. N-nice to meet you…” Helios flushed and retreated fully behind Emet-Selch.</p><p>“Helios…” Althaia walked over to Azem, keeping her voice low. “Then, his nightmares…”</p><p>“Visions,” Azem confirmed softly.</p><p>Althaia forced a bright smile and walked closer to Emet-Selch and Helios. “It is lovely to meet you as well, dear one! I am Althaia, Azem’s sister. I run a school for talented little ones such as yourself here on Aeacus, so I hope we can become fast friends!”</p><p>Helios peered out from around Emet-Selch, clearly uncertain, to study to friendly woman. “…a-and…it’s really okay to have connection to the Underworld here?”</p><p>To Althaia’s credit, she didn’t falter upon here the quiver in Helios’s voice. “All are welcome here, dear one. Gifts are to be embraced! Now…why don’t I introduce you to some of my students before I have a word with my brother, hmm?”</p><p>“A word? With me?” Azem blinked.</p><p>“Before that, we should see about getting things together for Helios’s stay,” Emet-Selch stated pointedly. “But yes, I am sure she will be fine with the students and carers while we see to that. Come along, Helios.”</p><p>“Okay…” Helios padded after the three adults, venturing deeper into the school’s luscious grounds. In another, central courtyard, and adults spied the two children they were looking for.</p><p>“Hades, Hythlodaeus, we have someone for you to meet,” Althaia called warmly, approaching the pair of boys who were lounging by the greenery-surrounded fountain central to the courtyard. Emet-Selch nudged Helios forward, and Althaia gently grasped her shoulders, guiding her forward. “This is Helios. Starting today, she is a new member of our island and your class. I expect you both to be nice to her and help her settle in on Aeacus, alright?”</p><p>Helios glanced between the two curious boys; her face flushed with embarrassment. The boy on her left had messy, dark burgundy hair with a distinctive white forelock, and golden eyes. The boy on the right had pale pink hair and seafoam green eyes.</p><p>“Wow! So, you come from another place? You got to ride a ship?” Hythlodaeus asked excitedly. “Did you take a water one of a flying one?”</p><p>“Ah…we sailed,” Helios mumbled, taking a step back from the excited boy. She fidgeted with one of her sleeves, briefly giving a brief glimpse, to the observant, of the bandages encasing one of her arms.</p><p>Hades suspicious expression softened slightly, and he put a hand on Hythlodaeus’s shoulder.  “Can you calm down for a moment? It’s no wonder no one knows how to talk to you.”</p><p>Helios looked between the pair in confusion. “But…you clearly know how to talk to him. You’re not no one…right?”</p><p>Hades flushed and looked away, embarrassed. “I-it’s a figure of speech!”</p><p>Althaia cleared her throat, giving the boys an expectant look.</p><p>“…you want us to show her around the island?” Hades took the hint. Frowning, he looked to Helios questioningly. “What do you like? We can start there.”</p><p>“…don’t know.” Helios looked away, ashamed, her hands clenching her robes.</p><p>“Then we can start by showing you what we like!” Hythlodaeus exclaimed, as if his were a brilliant, novel epiphany. He put one arm around Helios’s shoulders and the other around Hades, leading the pair out of the courtyard and toward the main road. “Cleaaarly the adults want us gone for some reason, so let us plan while we walk.”</p><p><em>Gone…</em> Helios shook her head faintly. “Really, you don’t have to include me just because Althaia told you to.”</p><p>“If you’re in our class, that means we’re comrades in our uniqueness!” Hythlodaeus declared. “I have really strong soul sight! Hades here has strong soul sight, and a deep connection to the side. What about you?”</p><p>“Um…” Helios fidgeted in discomfort, then glanced at Hades, who appeared to be ignoring her. “…you’re really connected to the Underworld, but people here don’t hate you for it?”</p><p><em>That</em> drew his attention. His golden gaze shifted to look at Helios, a faint hint of sympathy and regret in his eyes. “I was born here. Aeacus is said to be the entrance to the Underworld, and so a rich culture has grown here of people who wish to protect and revere the Underworld.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus rolled his eyes. “Which is an <em>uncharacteristically</em> long way of him saying the adults all adore him.”</p><p>“To answer then, um… I also have a deep connection to the Underworld, and I also have a… Emet-Selch called it a battle form? We spent more time on how to control it, than what that means.” Helios flushed, her mind racing to think of there was anything else. “I…don’t know if my other powers are strange to people here. I can command souls, I can wield astral darkness and umbral light, and…”</p><p>“Deep breaths.” Hythlodaeus gave Helios a friendly smile. “Are you hungry? It’s about lunch time. Let’s show you our favorite spot!”</p><p>“Uh…is that really…” Helios glanced away in discomfort.</p><p>“He wouldn’t have offered if either of us were opposed to it.” Hades crossed his arms. “Let’s go. If we get there fast enough, there will still be some tarts left.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Later that night, Helios packed up her scant belongings and snuck out of her temporary accommodations in the middle of the night. It was too much. There were too many people, they were trying too hard to be nice. If they had to try so hard, then clearly it meant they wanted to do the opposite.</p><p>“Helios! Where are you going?!” Althaia exclaimed, chasing after the girl barefoot. “It’s dangerous in the forest! Come back home where it’s warm, and safe. Hades and Hythlodaeus—”</p><p>“I don’t need anyone!” Helios snapped, before dispersing into shadows and disappearing into the trees.</p><p>Panicked, Althaia turned to rush back to the house in search of Azem and Emet-Selch. However, rounding a corner, she discovered a disappointed Hades’s eavesdropping.</p><p>“She’s scared of us,” Hades stated quietly. “Can you blame her? Sending people to hunt her down will just make her more fearful.”</p><p>“I know, but the beasts—” Althaia began, but cut herself off when the boy smiled, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness.</p><p>“The Underworld will keep her. Let Hythlodaeus and me handle this. It’s all been too much, too quickly, for her.”</p><p>Althaia struggled with herself. The elders insisted that children such as Hades were to be trusted in their judgment—but she couldn’t just leave a child alone in the foods without supplies.</p><p>“We’ll gain her trust so we can help keep her alive don’t worry.” Hythlodaeus stepped out of the shadows, a confident smile on his young face.</p><p>“Her wounds…” Althaia’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t get to heal them. If she reopens them and the beasts smell her blood…”</p><p>“She’ll be fine,” Hythlodaeus remarked with a wink. “We <em>just so happened</em> to have plans to skip class and go exploring the caves tomorrow.”</p><p>Althaia brought her fingers to her temples. “…of course you did.”</p><p>“I knew this would happen.” Hades gazed past his teacher and toward the forest. “Eminent Emet-Selch and Radiant Azem told you her story, didn’t they?”</p><p>“Of course…” Althaia shut her eyes in pain.</p><p>Hades continued, “What they don’t know is how she felt for so many years. How she made herself not care about her circumstances.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus nodded in agreement. “And now suddenly, by being rescued, everything she knows is gone and she’s learned she is part of a greater, <em>kinder</em> world. <em>Of course</em> she needs solitude think.”</p><p>Althaia sighed, knowing it was an argument she would not win. She eyed the two boys, not certain what to think. <em>Are the gifted cursed to never know childhood…or are these two simply that understanding?</em></p><p>Althaia concentrated on the boys’ souls, studying them, then looked in the direction Helios had fled. Her mouth hung open in surprise. <em>…I see. Bound by the Fates. I will pray for them.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Three</h1>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day, Helios awoke with a start, hearing stones slipping and cheerful voices.</p>
<p>“Leave me alone!” She shouted going to channel her battle form. However, she didn’t get much further than her wings. The moment the wounds in her arms pulled, she whimpered in pain and took a defensive stance. What she didn’t expect to see, were Hades and Hythlodaeus looking just as surprised to see her. Embarrassed, she hid her wings and turned her back to them, hoping they wouldn’t know the blood seeping into her bandages. “Go away! This is my cave now.”</p>
<p>“You’re hurt, and I’m a healer,” Hythlodaeus commented cheerfully. “Let me heal you as a sign of our good will. We didn’t feel like going to class today, you see, so we snuck out.”</p>
<p>Helios gritted her teeth, head swimming and hot. She opened her mouth to tell them off again, then a familiar voice rang through her head. <em>It would be unwise to offend the future Lord of the Underworld and his closest friend.</em></p>
<p>Her gaze drifted to the floor heart clenching. The Underworld’s guardians always spoke of friendship, connections, family, and love. But…what did any of those things mean? She sure didn’t know. They seemed to think it important, however.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” Hades’s voice came from much closer than expected, causing Helios to whirl around and back up—resulting on her dropping on her backside. A frown rested on Hades’s mouth as he studied the skittish girl. “That would be a ‘no,’ I see.”</p>
<p>“I’m just…” Helios grit her teeth and looked away. “Can’t you just leave me here to die, as everyone else would?!”</p>
<p>“No,” Hades stated simply. He hopped over a boulder and strolled toward Helios. Crouching down next to her, he held a hand to her forehead, noting she was too weak to do much more than pout. “…you have a terrible fever. We should get you back to the village.”</p>
<p>“Let me heal those wounds first,” Hythlodaeus crouched on Helios’s other side. “I’m still learning, so I must ask you to forgive me if you feel discomfort.”</p>
<p>“Just…let me…” Helios tried to protest, but her head spun from the pain, and she began to fall backwards toward the rocks.</p>
<p>Hades promptly caught the girl against his chest, finding her completely limp. He gritted his teeth while Hythlodaeus snickered at him. “Make haste, she is truly unwell, Hythlodaeus. We are not yet learned enough to deal with this ourselves.”</p>
<p>“If you’ll carry her, I’ll carry her things. It looks like she fell asleep the moment she reached this place—even her blanket is still packed away.” Hythlodaeus’s hands glowed with brilliant, starry light as he saw to Helios’s wounds. After glancing at the girl’s face to make certain she was truly unconscious, he asked his friend, “You are certain sending Azem and Emet-Selch to stop her death was the correct choice, Hades?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I am certain.” Hades looked away, feeling a pang of guilt. “Would <em>you</em> wish to be a soul trapped within a mountain for eternity, with those of your killers? I think not.”</p>
<p>“A shame the Underworld didn’t simply pull her into its currents and bring her here…” Hythlodaeus sighed wistfully. “No one deserves such isolation and torment.”</p>
<p>“If only she hadn’t been bound to that place in such a way,” Hades whispered mostly to himself, before shaking his head and willing the visions to go away. “Can you tell what is wrong? Is it an infection?”</p>
<p>Hythlodaeus frowned. “A minor one… No, I believe she is ill. Perhaps in their haste to bring her here, they didn’t stop in Amaurot to safeguard her from illnesses belonging to the outside world?”</p>
<p>Hythlodaeus rose to his feet and began gathering Helios’s things.</p>
<p>“…fools, and they call themselves members of the Convocation,” Hades spat, carefully standing, then hefting the ill girl into his arms. “She’s shaking… Let’s hurry.”</p>
<p>Not much time passed before Hades and Hythlodaeus intruded upon Althaia’s residence. The woman in question knew immediately that something was wrong. “Take her to the spare room! I will call the healers!”</p>
<p>With some difficulty, the young Hades carried his charge upstairs and deposited her on the bed in the guest room. He staggered back with a sigh, catching his breath. Running from monsters while carrying someone else had not been how he wished to spend his morning.</p>
<p>He sighed at himself and shook his head. But it was necessary. A quick glance was all he needed to see that her beautiful blue soul was fading. He looked away, disconcerted with how sad the notion made him.</p>
<p>“How long has she been like this?” A familiar voice asked, and Hades glanced over to see his father walking into the room. His father nodded to him. “You did well to track her down and bring her back.”</p>
<p>“She was sweating and unfocused when we woke her, and when she started getting more emotionally distressed, she fainted. She’s been growing worse since losing consciousness.” Hades shook his head. “Hythlodaeus and I couldn’t find the cause, so we assumed it illness.”</p>
<p>Cronus nodded his understanding. “We will pray it is so simple, but the quick progression may indicate a toxin. Wait downstairs with Hythlodaeus.”</p>
<p>“But I—” Hades protested, feeling anger swell in his chest.</p>
<p>Cronus frowned at his son. “You two can wait your turn…or is it the girl you worrey for?”</p>
<p>“Her <em>name</em> is <em>Helios</em>,” Hades narrowed his eyes at his father.</p>
<p>“Ah… That explains it then. The girl tormenting your visions.” Cronus nodded as if he grasped the matter. “Althaia, see Hades downstairs.”</p>
<p>“Come along,” Althaia said quietly, her tone placating. Once downstairs, she added, “You’re certain you don’t wish to tell anyone else that she is ‘dear’ to you?”</p>
<p>“I don’t even know <em>why</em> she is dear to us.” Hades looked away clutching his chest.</p>
<p>Althaia smiled. “Just remember, you can’t force others to be your friend. Helios is a fragile young girl. She will need time—”</p>
<p>“You’re wrong.” Hades clenched his fists. “She is strong. So, so incredibly strong. I… I fear she may not realize she needs us until it is too late.”</p>
<p>Althaia tilted her head. “Another vision?”</p>
<p>“I…am not sure. If it is, the future is unrecognizable.” Hades tensed his jaw.</p>
<p>Sensing the boy’s growing distress, Althaia placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Not all visions are to be taken at face value, my young student. They can be as an omen, a warning of what is to come. Shocking settings are not uncommon when the Underworld wishes to convey the severity of a situation.”</p>
<p>Hades’s gaze dropped to the floor. “If that is true, Miss Althaia, then I fear this vision suggests that Helios’s role and mine are so inextricably bound, that the Underworld will collapse if it loses even one of us.”</p>
<p><em>Why would the Underworld entrust so much of itself…unless…</em> Althaia kept her smile in place, her mind racing. “Come, why don’t I make you boys some hot chocolate while we wait, hmm? You deserve a reward for your work today.”</p>
<p>“Hades is right, you know,” Hythlodaeus remarked. “They’re the Underworld, more than Azem and Emet-Selch are. I overheard them talking; Helios can summon souls out of the living, killing them in an instant. She has the gift of Death…and we already know Hades has the gift of Life. The current Azem and Emet-Selch are merely stewards.”</p>
<p>Althaia pursed her lips. She knew of Hades’s power, but Azem had neglected to fully detail Helios’s. “Then it is all the more important we teach and protect the three of you, as you are closely bound to them as well, Hythlodaeus.”</p>
<p>“Stuck, more like,” Hades scoffed, at which Hythlodaeus promptly slung an arm around his shoulders.</p>
<p>“Come on, what would you do without me to heal you when your spellcraft goes awry, hm? Oh! We should ask Helios what her skills are when she awakens! The three of us can hunt together!”</p>
<p>“Helios won’t be going anywhere for a long while,” Cronus declared, striding down the stairs. “Someone tried to poison her. She will be weakened and ill for quite some while. I must speak with Azem and Emet-Selch, as this would have occurred aboard their vessel.”</p>
<p>“Not here in the village…? Thank goodness.” Althaia sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“I believe she was being gradually poisoned during the voyage here. The dosage must have been increased when they knew she would be disembarking for good.” Cronus shook his head, lips curled in disgust. “I cannot say whether the Fates are with or against her…”</p>
<p>Hades clenched his jaw, ignoring his father’s comments, as the adults left the room to discuss the predicament. “If only I had foreseen…”</p>
<p>“You’re not to blame for this,” Hythlodaeus reminded his friend. “That you saved her at all is a miracle. Why don’t we go upstairs and see how she’s doing? I’m sure some likeminded company will help put her at ease.”</p>
<p>Hades nodded begrudgingly, even though he had been considering the same. He felt for the girl, truly, but he struggled with the why of it. Why was she so important to the Underworld? Why did he feel as if it were his responsibility to try and rescue her? To keep her safe? Why did he feel as though her end, whenever it came eons from now, would be his fault? Why did her torment from birth feel as though it was on his shoulders?</p>
<p>“The Underworld must truly love you both, if it is willing to confide so fully in you,” Hythlodaeus remarked, sitting back in a chair within the guest room. “I imagine you are feeling the Underworld’s emotions, not your own, on this matter. You are both precious to it.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps you are right.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Four</h1><p> </p><p>“…gone again?” Althaia stopped in the doorway to Helios’s room, a tray with food and drink in her hands. Her gaze drifted downward, heart heavy.</p><p>“I spied the boys running off to look for her. She is in good hands.” Azem walked down the hallway, frowning at his sister. “You know it is not <em>you</em> she flees from.”</p><p>“That does not make it better. Not when you told me her story.” Althaia turned to Azem, her expression fierce. “The Underworld has not gifted so fully of its power in eons. Is aught amiss?”</p><p>Azem slowly shook his head. “Not that we have been able to determine. Perhaps it is merely fond of their souls…but we will be apprising our comrades in the Convocation nonetheless.”</p><p>“I know not how to put Helios’s mind at ease.” Althaia’s shoulders dropped. “Even the souls tied to hers—”</p><p>Azem’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve found her balancers <em>already</em>? Then…”</p><p>Althaia sighed, more at herself, as she had wished to keep it quiet. “Hades and Hythlodaeus. It’s no wonder the former had such strong visions of her. Their abilities, near as I can tell, are complementary. One wields astral darkness and umbral light, whilst the other is umbral darkness and astral light.”</p><p>“And with Helios’s ability to pull souls from the living, she is Azem in all but title,” Emet-Selch remarked as he joined the pair, a bright smile on his face. “How remarkably interesting. It has been so incredibly long since there was a Black Sun.”</p><p>Althaia stared at Emet-Selch. “An… Every Azem of the Black has appeared when a new threat faced our world! Yet, you two are unconcerned?”</p><p>“Superstition, dear sister.” Azem laughed. “You know as well as I that the chances are equal for an Azem of the Black or Golden. We should be more concerned about the lingering toxins in the little wanderer.”</p><p>Emet-Selch sighed. “I would much rather someone with her abilities inherit <em>my</em> role. Given her unique abilities, she may as well be Queen of the Underworld as it is.”</p><p>Azem shook his head. “I daresay she could be either. But what of these boys who are tied to her, Althaia? How else is it they are to serve as her balance?”</p><p>“It is Hythlodaeus who balances both Helios and Hades.” Althaia shook her head. “Helios and Hades are like mirrors, wielding opposing polarities. If Helios is most like Death…then Hades is Life, not that Cronus will let that gift flourish.”</p><p>Emet-Selch tilted his head, humming to himself as he thought. “Have either of the boys shown signs of having transformations?”</p><p>“No…but I suspect they may be hiding such a development. They have returned from the forest unusually fatigued on more than one occasion.” Althaia frowned. “Hades, in particular. Hythlodaeus has had to assist him.in walking, despite no injury. Upon further examination, he was drained of aether.”</p><p>“And what are their talents?” Emet-Selch prompted.</p><p>Azem groaned. “Please tell me you are <em>not</em> planning to enable their recklessness! They should leave the fighting to the adults!”</p><p>“Hythlodaeus is a gifted healer and astrologer. Hades is an unparalleled sorcerer. Even most of our guard cannot compare.” Althaia turned to look at Emet-Selch. “More oft than not, it is they who drive back the monsters encroaching in our village.”</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded. “Thus, your lessened concern for them when they venture into the forest. I was only planning to make a gift for Helios, but I think her soul-bonded friends would benefit as well.”</p><p>“Friends…of course,” Althaia murmured. Azem and Emet-Selch both stopped to stare at her, making her flush brightly. “Ah! Did I say that aloud?!”</p><p>“Which one.” Azem narrowed his eyes.</p><p>“H-Hades, why? What is wrong?” Althaia exclaimed.</p><p>Emet-Selch sighed heavily. “What we did not tell you, was that she does not acknowledge me as Lord of the Underworld. Instead, she told us that she knew the Lord of the Underworld would send someone to rescue her.”</p><p>Althaia’s eyes widened. “I thought neither of you believed the tales.”</p><p>“I don’t! …or didn’t. But…” Azem scowled and crossed his arms, turning away with the huff. “I cannot shake the feeling that we rescued a little goddess.”</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded in agreement. “In which case, with what you have said, Hades may just be a ‘little god.’ They will need to be observed carefully. If we must arrange for Hades parents to be returned to Amaurot in order for him to flourish…”</p><p>Althaia lowered her head, uncertain, then looked up with fire in her eyes. “Yes. The boy must be freed to grow and flourish. His mother spoils him and his father stunts his growth, his passions, his ambitions. I daresay he runs away just as much as Helios does.”</p><p>Azem nodded. “I will go take care of it.”</p><p>“And I shall set to forging their gifts.” Emet-Selch remarked with a smile. “Fear not, they will return soon.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Five</h1><p> </p><p>“Damn it!” Helios shouted in annoyance as a large lizard sent her flying back with a solid slap of its tail. She quickly recovered, hefting her sword and slicing down at the beast’s neck…only for her sword to break against its scales.</p><p>An angry roar, and the creature hit her again, sending her flying across the clearing. Helios cried out in pain as he back slammed into a tree, and she slid to the ground, coughing.</p><p>The air churned, and violet spears rained down from the sky, piercing the creature. After a delay, they exploded, causing the beast to flee and stalk from afar. Both Hades and Hythlodaeus emerged from the underbrush, with the latter kneeling to tend to Helios’s wounds.</p><p>“You followed me <em>again</em>?” Helios exclaimed defensively. For that, Hythlodaeus grasped her bleeding arm in just the right way to make her yowl. “<em>Ouch</em>!”</p><p>“Don’t talk back to your saviors, then,” Hythlodaeus stated smugly.</p><p>“Were you honestly going to fight <em>that</em> with your fists?” Hades asked, giving Helios a condescending glance.</p><p>“My sword broke.” Helios pointed at the shattered weapon, then at the cuts on her face. “That’s what these are from.”</p><p>Hades sighed. “Then I will—”</p><p>“Nope. I can still fight.” Helios leapt to her feet, punching one hand into the other before walking past Hades.</p><p>The boys stared in disbelief as souls swirled and swelled around Helios, altering her form. Black wings, blue ley lines, and intricate armor appeared around her petite form—including a wicked claymore. From her hooded helmet emerged silver horns, and atop it hovered a crown made of wicked, curved points.</p><p>Darkness swirled around her as she moved, her shadow moving independently. Glints of prismatic light glittered like stars in the air behind her, before growing and lengthening into sharp spears.</p><p>A wave of her hand, and the light spears flew at the angry lizard. It roared turning its attention to her and charged.</p><p>“For the love of…” Hades sighed in exasperation. “Hythlodaeus, keep her alive.”</p><p>“Of course.” Hythlodaeus spun an astrolabe in the air above one hand, smirking as he called upon the power of the heavens. “We will be victorious this day, my friends!”</p><p>Helios conjured a shield of darkness between her and her foe, then swung at the creature with her blade, gouging the first few layers of its durable scales.</p><p>Focusing, Hades summoned dark vines to erupt from the ground, entangling the beast and halting its attack. With a motion of his hand, he threw darkness at the creature, piercing the scales Helios had damaged.</p><p>Taking the hint, Helios shifted her grip and plunged her sword into the cracked scales. A split second later, shadows pieced down from above, joining with her strike and sending the sword plunging into the lizard’s heart.</p><p>Helios leapt back, yanking her sword with her, to avoid the creature’s death throes. She frowned. “We pierced its heart, why is it still…”</p><p>“Monsters on Aeacus don’t know when to die.” Hythlodaeus stepped forward, glancing up at Helios’s imposing form. “Are you not expending too much aether?”</p><p>“Hm?” Helios let go her transformation, then looked at Hythlodaeus. “No? The Underworld grants me that which I need.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus laughed at that. “Perhaps you can teach this trick to our dear friend Hades, then. He tries to power his transformation with his personal aether—only serving to make himself exhausted.”</p><p>“Ah…friends?” Helios frowned, troubled by the word.</p><p>“It is pointless to resist. Hythlodaeus is unforgivably persistent.” Hades shrugged, turning to join the pair once he was satisfied the beast was truly dead.</p><p>“That’s not what I… um…” Helios struggled with herself for a moment, before deciding to ask outright, “What are ‘friends?’”</p><p>The boys exchanged a look at that.</p><p>“A friend? A companion? Buddy? Ally? Compeer?” Hythlodaeus linked his hands behind his back and leaned over slightly to look at Helios. Realizing she truly had no idea what he was on about, he answered, “Someone you share a mutual bond of affection with, someone willing to lift you up when you’re sad, or fight with you so that you needn’t be alone.”</p><p>Helios’s frown deepened as she attempted to process his words. “Okay but why did you say ‘our’ friend?”</p><p>At that, Hythlodaeus grinned. “We wouldn’t have come after you a second time if we did not wish to be friends with you! So many people on this island wish to pamper and spoil us because we are gifted, but you seem to see us simply as people. We wish to make friends with such likeminded individuals.”</p><p>Helios leaned back from the excited youth, turning her gaze to Hades. “Was ‘persistent’ the right word to describe him?”</p><p>Hades shrugged, giving her a bashful smile. “One of many.”</p><p>“Come <em>on</em>,” Hythlodaeus encouraged her, grinning. “Just think! Hythlodaeus, Hades, and Helios! The chosen of the Underworld, and their heavenly healer! I bet we can do much together. Maybe even take over Amaurot!”</p><p>“<em>Please</em>.” Hades rolled his eyes. “Father will not stop until I agree to pursue the seat of Lahabrea, but that does not mean that I wish to have any part of the ruling body. I would much rather keep to myself, here, on Aeacus.”</p><p>“Mmm? You don’t want to become Azem or Emet-Selch?” Helios asked curiously.</p><p>“…Hythlodaeus is better suited for—”</p><p>“Hm hm hm! Helios makes an excellent observation!” Hythlodaeus rested a forearm on the girl’s shoulder and grinned. “Or were you <em>actually</em> going to listen to your father’s <em>stupid</em> demands?”</p><p>“Demands?” Helios echoed.</p><p>Hades clenched his fists and looked away. “…he wishes for me to study the fields of phantomology, speech, and discourse. To prepare me as a candidate for Lahabrea’s office.”</p><p>Helios raised an eyebrow at that. “Even though that is not your gift?”</p><p>“How did you…?” Hades started at her. “Tell me, then, what is your gift?”</p><p>“Death.” Helios tilted her head slightly. “I can see into the hearts of man, witness their past. If they’re bad people, then I pull their souls from their vessels and send them to the Underworld—or destroy them, returning them to base aether, if they are too awful.”</p><p>“…mine if Life,” Hades answered softly, looking away. “Yet…”</p><p>“Then that’s even more reason to ignore your father!” Helios declared, hands on her hips. “When I become Emet-Selch, I’m going to need an Azem. The current ones are barely holding the Underworld together!”</p><p>Hades stared at the girl in disbelief. “You cannot possibly be serious. Such roles—”</p><p>“Are perfect for the two of you, I agree!” Hythlodaeus put an arm around each of them. “Why don’t we return to the village for some lunch? I’m sure Miss Althaia is worried sick over your disappearance, Helios.”</p><p>“Ah but is it really alright if I…” Helios frowned, struggling internally. “I…I know everyone has <em>said</em> it is fine for me to live in the village, but I… I struggle to believe it.”</p><p>Hades clenched his jaw, his mind flicking to the visions of the bloodied girl trapped within the mountain. Looking away, he murmured, “…it is alright, Helios. You are home.”</p><p>“I…” Helios cut herself off, feeling a lump growing in her throat and her wyes eyes burning. She looked away from them both and simply nodded.</p><p>“Excellent! With that settled, where did you hide your things? We should bring them back with us.” Hythlodaeus looked between the two, amused. They would be great friends indeed. He just knew it.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“There you three are!” Althaia exclaimed as the troublesome trio filed through her front door. Spotting the bloodied Helios carrying a broken sword, she gasped. “Helios! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Hythlodaeus, did you not heal her?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s from the monster, not mine.” Helios shook her head, then glanced up to her right, having sensed Emet-Selch before spotting him. “I broke my sword. I’m sorry.”</p><p>Emet-Selch stepped out of the shadows, smiling at the keen girl. “And yet you prevailed. There is no need to apologize, little one.”</p><p>Althaia sighed in relief. “Come with me, Helios. I’ll run you a bath and make you a change of clothes.”</p><p>Emet-Selch looked to the boys as Althaia led Helios upstairs. “You did well to find her and bring her back. I take it you have learned more of her ‘unique’ ability?”</p><p>“Do you mean her foolish and unforgivably stubborn insistence on trying to be alone,” Hades started bitterly, “Or the ‘knight’ she transformed into?”</p><p>Emet-Selch grinned. “The knight. I wish to impose upon the two of you. Fight and grow with her. I fear she will release herself to the Underworld if not grounded among the living.”</p><p>Hades looked away, pained at the thought. Of course ‘Death’ would speak so casually about such matters. “I make no such promises. Uncertain as she is, there is only so much anyone can do.”</p><p>“Sometimes <em>being there</em> is enough.” Emet-Selch motioned with one hand, summoning forth an ornate staff and an astrolabe. “For each of you. With Helios in your company, there will be many fights. It is my wish you overcome them together and embrace your individual gifts. Death is ever attended by Life and the Heavens.”</p><p>Hades hesitated before reaching out and grasping the staff. He knew better than to offend a member of the Convocation. “…thank you, most eminent Emet-Selch. But.. Life? I…”</p><p>“Gifts should be treasured, not hidden away or overwritten. Learn to embrace your gifts as Helios and Hythlodaeus will.” Emet-Selch smiled at the boy, studying his aether. <em>I see… Azem and Althaia were partially correct. Lord of the Underworld, is he? Yet, he is Life and Helios is Death. Then why, pray tell, is the boy best suited for my office and the girl for Azem? Has the Convocation had the roles inverted for eons, or…</em></p><p>“Life…” Hades stared at the floor, frowning. “Where to even start…”</p><p>Emet-Selch shrugged. “Why not begin small? I am sure the Aeacus library has concepts of plants you could use for practice, or you could try to invent new ones yourself. I would recommend against starting with animals—Azem tried that. He created countless monstrosities and had to put them to the sword himself. It is quite unpleasant.”</p><p>“Why not flowers?” Hythlodaeus suggested.</p><p>“I will consider it.” Hades turned for the door but stopped briefly. “…tell Helios I said I will see her tomorrow.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus smirked at his friend, watching him leave. Then, he took his waiting astrolabe and smiled at Emet-Selch. “Quite the interesting pair, aren’t they? Hades may be insufferably dense, but he does care.”</p><p>Emet-Selch laughed at the boy’s candor. “We all have our demons to fight. Helios’s, at least, were the kind that could be put to the sword.”</p><p>“Hades will come around. Let us pray he does not do so too late.” Hythlodaeus headed for the door but stopped and bowed his head. “Thank you for the gift, Emet-Selch. I hope your return journey to Amaurot is a pleasant one.”</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded to the boy, maintaining a look of pleasantness until the boy was gone. Then, his lips promptly dropped into a frown. <em>Like little adults, every one of them. Is this merely the manner of change accompanied by the passage of time?</em></p><p>Hearing footsteps, he shifted to see Helios and Althaia coming back downstairs. The girl was clad in a robe she clearly didn’t care for.</p><p>“Helios, I came to give you a gift, as Azem and I must be leaving soon,” Emet-Selch spoke, striding over to the base of the stairs. He conjured a claymore, floating it in front of him. “This, you will find, is much sturdier than your last sword. It will also serve as a focus for your magics. Use it well.”</p><p>“Ah! Thank you!” Helios exclaimed with a bright smile that made Emet-Selch’s heart melt.</p><p><em>A shame that Azem and I cannot take her under wing as our daughter…</em> He crouched, a sad smile coming to his face as Helios tackled him with a hug. “Be careful, won’t you? I will be cross if you go hunting again before fully recovered—or if you get hurt. I gave your new friends weapons too, but they are learning as well. They can only help so much.”</p><p>“Okay… I’ll get better first.” Helios pouted. Then, she looked away bashfully. “…are they really my friends?”</p><p>Emet-Selch smiled. “So long as you do not try to push them away or hurt them, yes. The three of you can do great things together. Open your heart to them, Helios, for you will find no truer friends than they.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Six</h1><p> </p><p>Helios stared up at the night sky, a small frown on her face as she tracked the movement of the stars. Beautiful, yet it made her feel strangely lonely. Lonelier than isolation in the mountain had made her feel. There, at least, she had the Underworld and its guardians to keep her company.</p><p>“Hmph. And Althaia thought you had run away again.” Hades’s voice made Helios scramble into a sitting position, startled.</p><p>“Wha…? No. The house is just too bright.” Helios shook her head quickly. “And I can’t see the stars from inside. But forget that. How do you <em>keep finding me</em>?”</p><p>Hades gave her a confident smirk at that. “Your soul is a rather distinct hue. I would know your location no matter where on the island you went.”</p><p>“Ah…” Helios sighed, then tilted her head back to look at the sky once more. “I can see souls, but not their colors. Are all our souls so different?”</p><p>“No two are alike.” Hades stopped next to Helios, then glanced down at her. “May I sit with you?”</p><p>Helios nodded, so Hades promptly sat down and sprawled out on his back with a sigh.</p><p>“Oh, um… Thanks for helping me with that beast,” Helios grumbled, embarrassed. “I didn’t think the monsters here would be so strong…”</p><p>“You needn’t be embarrassed; they give even the guard trouble. But you are welcome.” Hades kept his gaze trained on the sky. “Perhaps you will consult us next you wish to go hunting? We wish to hone our skills too, but with Hythlodaeus being a healer and myself a sorcerer…”</p><p>“I wouldn’t want to intrude…” Helios murmured, flopping back again to stare at the sky as well.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be an intrusion. I’m <em>inviting you</em>. Take it.” Hades sighed, shaking his head. “Hythlodaeus may talk too much, but he was right. We would be your friends if you will let us.”</p><p>“…you’re not scared of me?” Helios asked quietly.</p><p>“Not in the slightest.”</p><p>“You’re sure?”</p><p>“I would not lie to you.”</p><p>“Then…then I’d like to try being friends. I’m still not entirely sure what that means but…you and Hythlodaeus seem like you have a lot of fun.</p><p><em>Fun? I suppose it is.</em> Hades smiled slightly.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Althaia hurried through the village in search of Helios <em>yet again</em>, following the threads that bound her to Hades and Hythlodaeus.  The worried woman frowned slightly upon noting Hades’s trail following close after the girl. Why was he also awake at such an unholy hour?</p><p>The worried woman stopped, surprised, and stared in disbelief at the sleeping pair. <em>They had been stargazing?</em></p><p>Althaia glanced up at the clear, starry sky, then looked down at Hades and Helios with a small smile. Truly, they were kindred spirits. Such strange children for such a peaceful era. Shaking her head, she gently awoke them and urged them to return home for proper sleep.</p><p>Helios, however, promptly ignored her and rolled onto her side and fell right back to sleep.</p><p>“I’ll have to carry her,” Hades remarked as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “She hasn’t felt safe enough to sleep in a long time.”</p><p>Althaia held back a protest and watched as the boy lifted Helios carefully off the ground and into his arms. Helios didn’t so much as stir. Sighing, Althaia nodded to Hades and walked with him back to the house.</p><p>“Helios said the house is too bright, and that she can’t see the stars from it,” Hades stated, unprompted, as he carefully set Helios on the bed. Then, he turned to look at Althaia. “If you want to keep her from wandering off, mayhap some modifications are in order?”</p><p>With that, Hades took his leave and Althaia stared after him for a moment in surprise. <em>After being trapped in the darkness of a mountain for so long…she still desires darkness? …I will ask her in the morning.</em></p><p>Helios turned away from the lamps with a grumble, and Althaia quickly turned them off. In an instant, the girl returned to peaceful sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Seven</h1><p> </p><p>Helios strolled through the forest, gaze flitting from one thing to the next with intense curiosity. With her skittishness subsided, she acknowledged that Aeacus was quite pretty. From the lush forest and its myriad flora, to the sharp mountains crowning it. Then, there was the faint pulse of the Underworld below her feet, a comforting reminder that it was close by.</p><p>Stopping, Helios frowned. There was something <em>wrong</em> on the island. But what was it?</p><p>“Helios?”</p><p>The girl in question jumped and whirled around, the faint glow of aether fading from her eyes as she refocused on the pair that had snuck up behind her. “D-don’t startle me like that!”</p><p>Hades smirked. “You should have heard our approach or sensed our aether.”</p><p>“She was obviously focused on something else,” Hythlodaeus remarked, circling Helios curiously. “Is aught amiss?”</p><p>Helios frowned slightly, then glanced in the direction of…whatever it was. “There’s something ‘wrong’ on the island, but I can’t see enough to know what.”</p><p>Hades’s expression shifted into a frown. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Um…how to put it…” Helios murmured. “I can sense things that are…not consistent with the star’s natural order. They appear in different colors, though I’ve no idea what these colors indicate yet…”</p><p>“And you were planning to go hunt it om your own?” Hades demanded, arms crossed.</p><p>Helios took a step back. “I hadn’t even decided I was going to hunt it, yet!”</p><p>Hythlodaeus laughed and leaned against Hades, but his piercing gaze fixed on Helios. “Next time you feel the urge to wander into the wilds, call upon us from the start. Such an ability could get you in over your head too quickly for us to come save you.”</p><p>“…I don’t need saving, I can…” Helios grumbled, pouting, but she knew Hythlodaeus was correct. “Must you be so smug?!”</p><p>“I ask myself <em>that</em> every day,” Hades remarked, voice dripping with disdain. “Lead us to whatever it is you sense. We should dispose of it.”</p><p>Helios looked between the two. “You…really want to come help?”</p><p>“One of the many things friends are for!” Hythlodaeus smiled brightly. “You would come to our rescue were we in danger, yes?”</p><p><em>Would I…?</em> Helios blinked at him for a moment, considering, before coming to the realization that yes, she would. She flushed in embarrassment and looked away. “Well, yes, unless you give me reason not to.”</p><p>Hades sighed at his friends. “Are we or aren’t we going?”</p><p>Helios nodded and led them off in the direction of the disturbance, claymore balanced on her shoulder. Frowning, she slowed as the trees began to thin, and she caught glimpses of the rocky beach beyond.</p><p>“Well? Use your words.” Hades eyed Helios as mingled light and darkness began to spark into existence around her. He studied her curiously, noting the way her expression had become sharp, her unusual pupils thin slits.</p><p>“It’s burrowed,” Helios answered, her gaze tracking the unseen.</p><p>Hythlodaeus followed her gaze. “Whatever it may be, it has no soul. I do wonder…what about it is a threat?”</p><p>Instead of answering, Helios abruptly outstretched a hand. A shield of darkness formed in front of the trio just before the ground burst open. A rotting, mangled mass of unidentifiable parts crashed into the shield with a sickening squelch, then raised back and tried to headbutt its way through.</p><p>Hades took a few careful steps back, raising his new staff. Hythlodaeus created some distance for himself too, then turned his attention to Helios. The world seemed to warp and churn around her as the Underworld responded to her call. Upon finishing her transformation, Helios threw the creature back with a mighty swing of her claymore.</p><p>Hythlodaeus smirked at Hades. “And what of you? Were you not going to practice?”</p><p>Hades’s mouth drew into a tight line as he watched Helios dance around the unnatural creature. For all her strength, it was not enough to cut the ghastly thing in two—his arts were needed.</p><p>“…fine.” Hades started to force his transformation, then stopped. <em>It was…the power of the Underworld that Helios called upon, was it not?</em></p><p>The moment he beckoned to the Underworld, it bucked and swirled to his call. Countless whispers filled his mind, but one stood out among the rest.</p><p>
  <em>Finally, finally you call upon us, my lord! For too long have we been without rule.</em>
</p><p>Hythlodaeus craned his neck to look up at Hades’s transformation with surprise. It was that swift, that simple? Yet, he radiated with such power. Hearing a snarl from Helios, Hythlodaeus swiftly turned his attention to their friend. She had taken to wielding her sword in one hand, her other arm hanging limp. Even so, she channeled power down her blade and pushed the creature back to a more comfortable distance.</p><p>Hades wove his spell carefully, trusting Helios to hold out. Transformed as he was, his heightened senses gave him better understanding of his own power…and hers. Dark stakes appeared in the air above the creature, then drove downward, piercing its body and pinning it in place.</p><p>The creature writhed, leaking brownish-black liquid, seeming unaware of its hurts.</p><p>“Helios, calm—” Hades started to warn the moment he felt the air shudder.</p><p>Helios’s limp arm snapped back into place, allowing her to raise her hand and conjure a dense mass of aether above it. Her feet left the ground, her transformed body floating above the monstrosity as her wings unfurled and spread wide. The stylized eye slots of her helmet glowed scarlet and purplish black aether coiled around her like smoke.</p><p>“Too much…she’s using too much aether! Stop her!” Hythlodaeus exclaimed, panic gripping his chest.</p><p>Without hesitation, Hades conjured vines and attempted to restrain Helios enough to keep her from action. When it was clear that would not work, Hades dashed past the beast and reached out, grasping Helios’s wrist.</p><p>Power pulsed once through the immediate area, then Hades took hold of Helios’s very aether. “<em>Enough</em>! We need to study this <em>thing</em>, and if you use so much aether <em>you will die</em>.”</p><p>He sensed faint hesitation from her, but she didn’t reabsorb her power. Instead, she continued to channel it. Sensing her resolve weakening, he let his voice grow quiet, hoping to keep Hythlodaeus from overhearing, and asked, “Who will I watch the stars with if you sacrifice yourself?”</p><p>Helios’s wrist twitched, then the orb of aether began to slowly shrink. Her voice a strained whisper, she finally spoke, “Can…can you take over? I don’t know if I can…”</p><p><em>Take over…?</em> Hades stared at her in confusion.</p><p>The voices of the Underworld laughed, echoing in Hades’s mind. <em>Your gifts are the halves of the same coin, your powers greater combined as one! Together, balanced.</em></p><p>Hades hesitated, then concentrated, guided by the voices of the Underworld. Pulling Helios to him body, mind, and soul. A surprised gasp escaped him when Helios dissipated into dark aether and flooded into his form, coiling around his very soul like an ever-shifting shield. A familiar mental brush, and her soul nestled alongside his in that shield.</p><p>Power coursed through Hades as his form altered, the left half taking on aspects of Helios’s knight form. Wielding a staff in his right hand and a sword in her left, the pair gazed down at the monstrosity with shared vision. Soulless, malformed, <em>pathetic</em>.</p><p>Merged as they were, Hades felt the pure rage as it slammed through Helios. Her unmitigated disgust, a fury bordering righteous, and the blind arrogance of a demigod. Were she to have her way, they would pass judgment on the malformed creature, excising its existence from the star.</p><p><em>It doesn’t belong here!</em> Helios’s telepathic growl surprised Hades.</p><p>Their thoughts were shared?</p><p><em>And if it is studied first, we can ensure no more appear,</em> Hades answered sternly, feeling Helios recoil briefly. “Hythlodaeus, call the guard. They will know how best to package this <em>thing</em> and send it off for study.”</p><p><em>Come on, let me kill it. Just a little bit?</em> Helios pleaded, her soul tracing distractingly around his. <em>I—</em></p><p><em>You are not a mindless barbarian, you are better than that,</em> Hades snapped, hoping to get her to cease her distractions. Each fleeting brush made his heart race and his chest tighten for some unknown reason. Strange as it was…he wished she would just…stop.</p><p><em>Hades, watch out! </em>Helios exclaimed.</p><p>The left side of their form moved, and Helios stabbed the ground with her sword. A wall of darkness erupted between them and the monster as it tore free and attempted to latch on to the right half of their form.</p><p><em>Accursed thing.</em> Hades felt a sense of cold come over him as he saw the sickly orange glow that Helios’s sight permitted them to perceive. <em>A gaol, then. Assist me.</em></p><p>Hades concentrated on his spell, weaving both his aether and Helios’s. Then, they floated the creature and trapped it in a sphere. From Helios, he sensed her bloodlust rising again. Instead of speaking, he pushed back mentally and attempted to quell her soul. A soul which burned so hot he nearly flinched.</p><p>“Don’t mind them for now!” Hythlodaeus exclaimed in exasperation. “We must deal with the creature first, lest Helios do something incredibly reckless!”</p><p>Althaia stared in disbelief at the looming form the pair of children had fused to create. She had heard tales of such transformations, and even rare mention of fusing them, but there was no one left to teach the art. How had such young ones managed such a feat?</p><p>“Hythlodaeus, are they alright?” Althaia asked quietly, watching the boy shift to look at his friends.</p><p>“For the moment. He’s successfully calmed her, but I don’t know for hoe how long. It’s as if her instincts wish for her to act as the Sword of Judgment.  she can barely control herself.” Hythlodaeus shook his head faintly. “Her aether…what is she…?”</p><p>The moment the guard imprisoned the monster within a concept matrix, Helios’s knight form separated from Hades. The boy shifted to stop her, but Helios already had her aether ready.</p><p>Slamming a sphere of astral aether downward and into the ground, Helios methodically expunged the traces left by the beast, burning its corruption from the island.</p><p>Then, a cough, and the taste of blood. Helios dropped to one knee, losing control of her transformation. She started to fall forward, head spinning as she coughed up blood, but Hades caught her by the torso in one large hand.</p><p>Maintaining his transformation, he held onto her carefully, noting she was shying away from contact with the left side of her torso. “Are you alright? Did I…do this?”</p><p>“No. That <em>thing</em> hit me,” Helios answered, before spitting out a mouthful of blood. “It…”</p><p>Hades’s eyes widened as he saw Helios’s soul dim slightly. Fear gripped him briefly, before her soul flared bright again. “Hythlodaeus, can you heal her?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus and Althaia rushed over, and the former raised a hand. The moment his aether touched Helios’s injuries, she went limp, fainting from the pain. “…her ribs are broken. We need to return her to the village and have someone else mend her wounds. Can you maintain this form long enough to carry her there? We need to keep her as flat as possible.”</p><p>“I will be fine.”</p><p>Althaia frowned at Helios. “How did she…with these injuries…”</p><p>“She was so consumed with this…’duty’ of hers that she must not have noticed. Her thoughts were consumed with the desire to erase that creature from existence, as it does not belong on our star.” Hades carefully adjusted his grip on Helios’s unconscious body, resting her flat in his palm. “…will this suffice?”</p><p>Althaia smiled, catching the hint if bashfulness in the boy’s tone. In some regards, at least, they were still children. “Yes, Hades. Let us make haste—I am sure we all agree we do not wish to see her in pain.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Althaia frowned at the hospital room. Hades had collapsed from exhaustion beside Helios, who had nearly depleted her personal aether to cleanse the island. Though Helios’s wounds had been mended, including her broken bones, many of the adults—Althaia included—had other concerns.</p><p>Their transformations and ability to fuse were too similar to the ancient paintings of their people to ignore. Always thought to have been a historical record of the first King and Queen of the Underworld. Now, the priests and priestesses of the island were unsure.</p><p>Did the transformation simply look the same for anyone gifted with it? Or, had the paintings instead been a prophecy?</p><p>Althaia’s jaw tightened. She hoped, she prayed, that it was not a prophecy. For if it was, terrible pain laid ahead for the star, its children…and especially for Helios and Hades.</p><p>“Althaia, you should rest,” a healer spoke quietly, pulling her aside. “As should they. Go home for the night.”</p><p>Althaia sighed. “…Helios rests best in utter darkness. Turn the lights out when you can.”</p><p>After covering Hades with a blanket, they left the room, closing the door softly behind them, and turned out the lights.</p><p>However, it wasn’t long before the boy’s eyes fluttered open, and he pushed himself up on one arm. He frowned at Helios, taking in the wavering brilliance of her soul. Something remained amiss.</p><p><em>Is she ill? Does the Underworld call to her?</em> Hades reached out tentatively, putting a hand to her forehead. Then, he concentrated, tracing her aether in search of trouble.</p><p>The voices of the Underworld rose in his mind again. <em>Poor thing is still scared she’s not wanted here! She wonders if she should let go, return to the Underworld, stay there an eternity. Worries that her transformation, and your fusion, will make the villagers…and you, hate her.</em></p><p>Hades pursed his lips. Something told him that the voice spoke true. He sighed heavily and laid back down, staring at the ceiling. His heart ached for her. No one should have to suffer even a fraction of what she had.</p><p>Distant though he tried to remain from others…be didn’t wish to do so with Helios. He feared how she might react in such a scenario, that <em>he</em> might be the one to cause her to release herself to the Underworld.</p><p><em>I would never forgive myself.</em> Hades shut his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away. Even before meeting her, he had cared for her. Though he couldn’t explain it, he didn’t wish to fully deny it either. There had to be a reason, after all.</p><p>Perhaps it was simply that they were likeminded souls. Yes, that had to be it.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Helios looked up from her book curiously when Hades and Hythlodaeus entered her hospital room. The latter looked cheerful as ever, but Hades looked oddly embarrassed and as if he had been dragged against his will.</p><p>“We heard you’re being kept a few extra days, so we thought we’d come visit!” Hythlodaeus smiled. “Ah, and I’m sure you’ll like the results of Hades’s experimentation with creation magics.”</p><p>“Oh? You two haven’t just been skipping class while I’m stuck here?” Helios set aside her book with a tired smile. Her aether was slowly returning, but she still felt exhausted.</p><p>“We were tasked with creating new flora, and…we…” Hades huffed, flushing, and looked away. “We agreed that what I made would suit you…and make a good get-well gift.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus smiled. “Hm hm hm. That wasn’t so hard, see?”</p><p>Hades sighed and lifted a hand, summoning forth a slender vase with a long, vibrant green stalk resting within it. Clusters of dozens of vibrant blue flowers shaped like stars lined the stalk. Noting Helios’s face light up, clearly interested, Hades walked over and set it on the table beside her bed.</p><p>“They’re the color of your soul, lest you wonder,” Hades grumbled in embarrassment. “…Miss Althaia believes that our concern for you caused of creations to be altered.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus shrugged. “Hades managed to remain closest to our task.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Helios stated, giving Hades a genuine smile that caused the boy to flush nearly crimson. “I was worried you might be angry with me for…well, many things.”</p><p>“Angry?” Hades asked in disbelief. “Mildly frustrated at worst. You nearly killed yourself. Twice. Additionally, the adults are too interested in what we accomplished.”</p><p>“They are?” Helios tilted her head. “They’re not… Angry? Disgusted?”</p><p>The boys exchanged a look at that.</p><p>“Helios, when you’ve recovered, I think we should show you some of our ancestors’ artwork,” Hythlodaeus declared. “In short, no, they’re not angry or disgusted. Quite the opposite is true. It has been a long, long time since anyone with the ability to transform—let alone merge—has been found.”</p><p>“It’s an ability believed to be given by the Underworld, to those with the power to rule and protect it,” Hades added, frowning as he thought. “I’ve overheard some talking about testing you for the ability to become a priestess of the Underworld… Miss Althaia had to remind them you have yet to learn our culture.”</p><p>“And you are already much more than a priestess, aren’t you?” Hythlodaeus remarked with a mysterious smile. “Anyway, is there anything we can do or bring to make your stay more bearable?”</p><p>“Um… Have lunch with me?” Helios looked between the two. “I’m just bored. Hungry and bored. They won’t let me outside at all, so…”</p><p>Hades shrugged. “I’ll go get us food. Keep an eye on her, Hythlodaeus.”</p><p>Helios watched curiously as the boy left, then turned her attention to Hythlodaeus. “Did I say something wrong?”</p><p>At that, the boy laughed and shook his head. “No, no. Hades can be quite shy. One might call his interest in you uncharacteristic, if they didn’t know he was the one who sent Azem and Emet-Selch to find you “</p><p>“He…” Helios stared at Hythlodaeus’s smug grin. She’d had her suspicions, but she thought herself reaching. “Really? It was he who… Then, you <em>both</em> know where I…what I…”</p><p>“You are stronger than us. Neither of us would have managed in your place.” Hythlodaeus shook his head slowly. “We both care. Hades, however, doesn’t know how to show it. I think you will understand when you have the displeasure of meeting his father.”</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Eight</h1><p> </p><p>Helios frowned slightly as she walked down one of Aeacus’ roads, following wherever her feet chose to take her. An older voice, similar in fashion to Hades’s, caught her attention as she neared a storefront which provided the village with texts imported from Amaurot.</p><p><em>Hmn, easier to find than I thought.</em> Helios neared the pair, attention rapt. <em>Hopefully this will suffice for our guests?</em></p><p>“No, no, no. You will need to learn the arts of speech, politics, phantomology,” a tall man with dark eyes pulled a book on life-related magics from Hades’s hands. “You will have no such time for such frivolous things.”</p><p>Hades spotted Helios’s approach, opened his mouth to greet her, then looked away. <em>Of course</em> she would find him whilst his father was on another of his tangents.</p><p>“You would squander his talents to pursue your own goals?” Helios inquired bluntly, causing them to stare at her. “Speech, politics, and phantomology. That would be training for the seat of Lahabrea, yes? Why don’t <em>you</em> learn those things if you are so eager for that power?</p><p>“Or are you more interested in manipulating your son to be your puppet, so you needn’t do any of the work?”</p><p>“How <em>dare</em> you, our family—” The man began, but his words died in his throat when the young girl gave him an eerie smile.</p><p>“The Underworld chose Hades and granted him a talent for <em>life</em>. Are you so hungry for power, so greedy for fame, that you would push your ambitions on another, rather than let him become his own person?” Helios continued, her tone good-natured, even if there was a glint of something dark in her eyes. “You would deny him a more suitable seat on the Convocation by pushing your agenda onto him. Are you scared that, were he to become Azem, he would wander too far off your leash?”</p><p>“Silence!” The man raised a hand as if to slap her, then froze, the color draining from his face as three robed figures with red masks appeared around them—one of which grabbed him by his raised wrist.</p><p>“Helios is quite wise for her age,” Lahabrea remarked coolly as Cronus took in his mask. “I had heard of interesting developments on Aeacus, but it grieves me to see you mistreating little ones, <em>Cronus</em>. Especially your own. You and I will be having a chat, back in Amaurot, where you cannot interfere with your son’s growth.”</p><p>“How dare you. He is my son, to teach as I see fit!” Cronus snapped, gaze filled with fury.</p><p>Azem stepped forward and placed a hand on Hades’s shoulder, then looked to the storekeeper. “Whatever the children want, they shall have. I will cover the costs.”</p><p>“Hm? Me too?” Helios gave Azem a perplexed look.</p><p>Azem shot her a warm smile. “A reward, for defending your new friend and standing up for what you know to be right.”</p><p>Helios wrinkled her nose, only growing more confused. “Why would I get a reward for that? All I did was—”</p><p>Emet-Selch ruffled her hair, earning a pout. “It is called ‘positive reinforcement.’ You do something that is considered ‘good,’ and people will wish to reward you in hopes you continue to do ‘good.’”</p><p>“Is Father going to be alright?” Hades grimaced, looking past Emet-Selch to where Lahabrea was guiding Cronus away.</p><p>“Your parents will be leaving for Amaurot, as the Convocation has deemed their interference dangerous to your growth as both a person and a sorcerer,” Azem answered, kneeling so he was at the boy’s eye level. “You, Hythlodaeus, and Helios will be sharing a home. Emet-Selch and I already made arrangements so that the three of you can see to your studies without fear of interference or judgment.”</p><p>Hades pursed his lips, then hesitantly reached out to grasp the book he had been hoping to purchase. “Then...it is alright for me to pursue <em>my</em> interests?”</p><p>Azem smiled. “It is more than alright. Helios is quite correct; talents should be encouraged and fostered. We are all happiest when we get to follow our strengths and passions. If life magics are what you wish to learn, then that is what you should learn.”</p><p>“What about you, Helios?” Emet-Selch prompted.  “What field of creation magic do you wish to study?”</p><p>Helios sighed dramatically. “I am <em>awful</em> at creation. Can’t I just continue playing guard?”</p><p>Hades’s lips quirked into a half smile. “Anything she creates is crystal, living or otherwise.”</p><p>Helios crossed her arms and turned away with a huff.</p><p>Shrugging, Hades added, “Our classmates have been teasing her about it. During our most recent assignment, she created a serpent comprised purely of aetherically-charged crystal.”</p><p>“That sounds lovely to behold,” Emet-Selch remarked, his tone one of encouragement. He smiled down at Helios. “That is nothing to be ashamed of, little one. If your talent lies with crystal and aetheric creations, why not lean into the field and master it?”</p><p>Helios sighed again. “Miss Althaia understands. The other teachers don’t. Look.”</p><p>The girl pulled her grades out of thin air and shoved them at Emet-Selch. He frowned slightly, then looked at her. “I will speak with them and see to it they treat you fairly. They should be more flexible for children with niche gifts, and if you are not the only one...”</p><p>Helios tilted her head questioningly as Emet-Selch excused himself, but Azem promptly shooed her and Hades both into the store fully to seek out books they would like.</p><p>“I should have known you might turn your meddling on <em>me</em>,” Hades remarked, watching Helios as she half-interestedly flipped through the first few pages of a tome.</p><p>“Ah, please do not blame her,” Azem interjected, misreading the boy’s intention entirely. “We asked her to help us find your father, and—”</p><p>“Hm? I’m not angry,” Hades arched an eyebrow. “I simply meant that, given Helios’s penchant for being so incredibly fixated on bettering the village from the shadows, I should have expected her to react to my father in such a manner.”</p><p>“Hades can create really beautiful things when given the opportunity,” Helios declared without looking up from the book. “He actually has several concepts he should submit to Amaurot, but he is being stubborn.”</p><p>“<em>I’m</em> stubborn?” Hades scoffed. “Says the girl who refused an assignment outright because she deemed it too ‘frivolous and impractical.’”</p><p>“<em>Why</em> would I <em>ever</em> want to create a bouquet of balloons at will?” Helios sighed irritably. “They’re so incredibly pointless.”</p><p>“They’re <em>decorations</em>, Helios. For festivals. Parties. That manner of nonsense.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “See! You think they’re nonsense too!”</p><p>“I simply dislike large gatherings. You and Hythlodaeus are all I need.” Hades crossed his arms around the books he carried and looked away with a huff.</p><p>The shopkeeper giggled at the pair. “Now, now, Miss Helios, Hades. From what I hear, Helios will be performing the leading role during the festival this year. Surely you can make an exception to show support for your dear friend?”</p><p>Azem frowned slightly. Helios was at least five decades too young for such a role during the festival. Wielding such power was dangerous, even for an adult. “<em>Helios</em> will be performing? Despite the risks?”</p><p>“The elders said there is no risk.” The storekeeper shook her head. “Helios and Hades are extraordinary. Even were Helios to lose control, Hades has already proved himself to be her perfect balance.”</p><p>Azem’s frown deepened. “It sounds as though something interesting happened that I was not made aware of.”</p><p>“Ah! Permit me to tell you all about it while the children look for books.” The woman smiled happily.</p><p>Hades grasped Helios by the wrist, taking the opportunity to pull her deeper into the store and away from the annoying adults. “They never stop <em>talking</em>.”</p><p>Helios gave him a questioning look. “Neither do we, when we get started. And Hythlodaeus definitely doesn’t stop.”</p><p>“That is <em>different</em>,” Hades stated. “<em>You</em> are interesting, and you’re not loud.”</p><p>“So, I can stay?” Helios peered at him.</p><p>He laughed, lips quirking into a wry smile. “Obviously.”</p><p>Helios grinned and leaned up against his side. “Let’s find you more books, then!”</p><p>“What about you?” Hades countered. “Pretend with <em>them</em> all you like; I know you do have interests.”</p><p>“Mmm... But the adults seem to really dislike ‘violence.’” Helios tilted her head. “Even if it’s necessary to protect people. It seems counterintuitive.”</p><p>“We create.” Hades motioned loosely with one hand, conjuring a single flower blossom, and tucking it into Helios’s hair. “Many are naturally at odds with destruction because of that. They see it as destroying another’s creation—a taboo. Yet, protecting ourselves and our dear ones should come first, as you have argued countless times. Just because there’s no reason to fear death, doesn’t mean we should throw ourselves toward it...”</p><p>“Hmmm... but will there even <em>be</em> books on combat and martial arts?”</p><p>Hades took her by the hand. “I’ll help you search.”</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Nine</h1><p> </p><p>Helios laid on her back and watched the stars, her lips pulled into a frown as she lifted a clear crystal she had made for herself. A hand reached out and caught hers, hiding the glowing crystal from sight.</p><p>“Unable to sleep <em>again</em>?” Hades asked, his golden eyes coming into view as he leaned over just enough for Helios to see his face.</p><p>Helios returned his inquiry with a tired smile. “Mn. I can’t get my mind to settle down, so I thought I’d get some fresh air.”</p><p>She loosened her grip on the crystal, permitting Hades to take it as he moved to sit beside her. The boy said nothing at first, and instead stretched out on his back alongside her, lifting the crystal to study it.</p><p>“Have you decided what to name it?” Hades inquired, turning the crystal between his thumb and forefinger. It radiated warmth, despite seemingly containing no aspect. Yet, earlier in the day they had confirmed it wasn’t merely a gemstone.</p><p>“I can’t name it if I don’t even know what it does…” Helios grumbled, her gaze trained above. “Besides…I was <em>trying</em> to make a cubus. How I got that instead…”</p><p>Hades glanced at his companion when she trailed off, a faint waver in her voice. Though her eyes remained on the stars, he saw enough of her face to determine she was genuinely upset about her ‘failure.’ He had to wonder if the only reason she kept the crystal was because he and Hythlodaeus had expressed interest in it.</p><p>“We could test it,” Hades offered after a moment. “If you’re not going to try to sleep, then we may as well do <em>something</em> before you get bored and wander off to hunt.”</p><p>At that, Helios pouted and looked to him. “Hunting isn’t all I think about!”</p><p>“It <em>is</em> when you’re frustrated.” Hades smiled at her. “Did you save a concept for this crystal like I asked?”</p><p>“Yes…” Helios grumbled begrudgingly.</p><p>“Then, shall I…?” Hades watched in mild confusion as Helios sat up, then rose to her feet. “Helios?”</p><p>“Do what you like with it, I’m going to bed,” she mumbled, keeping her gaze averted as if ashamed.</p><p>Hades stared after her, his chest clenching tight. True to her word, she headed in the direction of their home but…why the change in behavior? He looked down at the crystal in his hand, his chest aching for his friend. Was her pride truly so damaged by her struggles with creation magic, despite the beauty of her creations? Or had he perhaps said something to upset her unknowingly?</p><p>He hesitated, then closed his hand around the stone, imbuing it with a modicum of his own darkness. In an instant, the stone flared hot and began to levitate, its color changed. Clear, black crystal suffused with brilliant violet light. The violet rays shining from the flawless facets radiated several ilms into the air despite its size.</p><p>“What is…?” Intrigued, Hades concentrated again, testing what the stone could be infused with. Another element did not work, he quickly discovered. Yet, he realized, it was capable of <em>recording</em>. He got to his feet, shaking his head. <em>Just what was she thinking of that would cause a cubus’s creation to become…this?</em></p><p>Knowing full well that Helios hadn’t actually gone to bed, Hades headed home at a brisk pace, finding the girl in question in the middle of making tea. She started to try and avoid him, but Hades outstretched a hand and permitted the crystal to levitate above it.</p><p>“…that’s…” Helios frowned, her head shifting to the side.</p><p>“Look, it records memory too.” Hades offered her the crystal. “You made something incredible, Helios, even if it wasn’t what you were trying for. You should still be proud!”</p><p>“Memory?” Helios reached out, then concentrated. It was simply a memory of the day’s lunch…but Hades’s memory existed there, complete with every sense preserved—including a glimpse at how souls appeared to him. So vivid, it was as if she experienced it herself. She pouted. “…okay, you were right…”</p><p>Hades gave her a small smile. “You shouldn’t discount your creations as ‘failures’ so quickly.”</p><p>“Easier said than done.” She shot him a disgruntled look. “You’ve been creating all your life! I’ve just been…” she paused, tugging absentmindedly at her sleeves, her gaze dropping to the floor, “…existing? Surviving. I don’t…”</p><p>“You’re gifted, truly, I mean it,” Hades informed her, keeping his voice low for fear of Hythlodaeus overhearing—he’d never hear the end of it. “I’ll talk to our instructors for you, okay? Given the lecture they received from Azem and Emet-Selch…”</p><p>“Is it even <em>useful</em>?” Helios pointed at the crystal.</p><p>Hades gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course! It’s compact, yet it can store lifetimes of information. I’m certain there are many applications. If lessons can be stored within as well, then, knowledge could be kept in its original form longer than ever before.”</p><p>Helios stared at Hades in surprise. Never in the, admittedly short, time she had known him, had he ever said so much about a creation at once. She flushed in embarrassment and glanced away. “You’re…you’re excited about this crystal? Then why don’t <em>you</em> name the concept?”</p><p>“No—I want <em>you</em> to name it,” Hades directed, taking a step closer, his expression growing firm. “Tomorrow, we can test it further, but for now…”</p><p>“Okay, okay!” Helios relented, taking the hovering crystal between her hands. Instantly, Hades’s presence enveloped her, and she stared at the crystal in disbelief. That violet color—that wasn’t simply because he used darkness. “…take it back, I want to check something. Um…watch with your soul sight, please?”</p><p>Hades gave her a puzzled look but did as she asked. Then, he watched, mesmerized, as Helios created another of the clear, glowing crystals. Hades lips parted in surprise when his friend proceeded to infuse the crystal with darkness of her own. The beautiful blue of her soul entwined with the threads of elemental aether, then grew brighter upon entering the crystal, changing it.</p><p>Once finished, a clear, blue-black crystal radiating blue light hovered above Helios hand. Then, she offered it to Hades with a faint pout.</p><p>They traded floating crystals, and Hades took a step back, surprised by the sudden presence of Helios’s aura coiling around him from the stone. He prodded it mentally, and instantly knowledge flowed into his mind—a more detailed explanation of how Helios called upon her knight form, and all the functions she knew of. Rather than a verbal or visual instruction, it was simply as if she had planted the necessary information in his mind.</p><p>“Extraordinary…” Hades breathed, before turning his gaze to the uncertain girl. “Thank you for this gift.”</p><p>At that, she flushed bright and glanced away entirely. “I-I just didn’t know what else to put! Um…but if it works the same way for you, then… You felt an aura from it?”</p><p>“I did.” Hades nodded, deciding not to press her further—if he was right, she was on the verge of retreat, and he did <em>not</em> wish to go hiking through the forest at present.</p><p>“W-well…then what about calling it ‘auracite?’” Helios murmured, sounding entirely as if she expected to be laughed at.</p><p><em>Well, it’s certainly to the point.</em> Hades smiled crookedly. Helios’s names, and any thoughts she let slip, were always so bluntly to the point, yet her interactions remained strained erratic. “I think it’s perfect. With that settled…we should sleep.”</p><p>Hades studied Helios’s expression as it went from surprise to immense disappointment. Her eyes fell to the floor as she thought.</p><p>“I…I suppose you’re right,” Helios murmured, flushing. What <em>she</em> wanted, despite her better judgment, was to remain awake and chat with Hades—but, clearly, she believed—he wanted her gone. “Um… G-goodnight then!”</p><p>Helios fled for her room before Hades could say anything. The boy reached out with one hand, but it was too late. He looked at his hand, then let it fall to his side, heart aching now that Helios was further away.</p><p>“…goodnight, Helios,” he whispered to himself, before making for his own room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Ten</h1><p> </p><p>“Miss Althaia,” Hades called as he walked into her office. “May I have a word?”</p><p>“No Helios today?” Althaia smiled at the boy, but he glanced away, seemingly pained. “What is it?”</p><p>“We couldn’t convince her to come to class today. She feels ridiculed for her creation.” Hades approached the desk, then placed both glowing pieces of auracite in front of Althaia. “She ran off again. Hythlodaeus and I are going after her, but I thought you should see what her creation, auracite, is capable of. Perhaps <em>you</em> can get the students and other teachers to be more kind to her.”</p><p>Without another word, Hades left and hurried to join Hythlodaeus by the village’s edge. Blue aether lingered in the air, but faint. She was learning to hide her tracks.</p><p>“Do you think they’re <em>trying</em> to run her off?” Hythlodaeus asked without turning. “I don’t think we’ve seen her this upset. <em>Something</em> must be wrong.”</p><p>“They night be,” Hades answered in disgust. “I’ve heard people whispering their jealousy. They covet her affinity for the Underworld—they think it unfair someone from outside Aeacus was chosen.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus rolled his eyes. “You and she may as well be carved from the same soul. It matters not where she’s from. Just that she’s… ‘Lady of the Underworld’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.”</p><p>“<em>Please</em>, we are both more than our gifts,” Hades muttered in displeasure. “Enough, we need to catch up to her before she finds trouble or the storm rolls in.”</p><p>Nearly two hours passed, yet the boys hadn’t caught up to her. The pair stopped to catch their breaths and refill their waterskins by a spring, their concern growing. Clouds blanketed the sky, and in the distance flashes of thunder lit them.</p><p>“She’s gotten faster,” Hythlodaeus remarked after a moment, shifting to look for traces of Helios’s soul. He frowned, spotting what appeared to be a <em>smear</em> the color of her soul nearby. “Is that… Hades, with me!”</p><p>Hythlodaeus darted off in the direction of the splash, leaving Hades little choice but to follow.</p><p>“…blood? And so much…” Hades stared at the brilliant red smear, fear gripping his chest. It wasn’t much. She had to be alive still. She had to… “Ungh!”</p><p>“Not now!” Hythlodaeus exclaimed as Hades’s hands lifted to his head. “This is not the time for your visions, my friend!”</p><p>Hythlodaeus grew still as Hades’s expression changed, still lost in his vision. Utter despair, tears falling from golden eyes. Heartbreak. When he witnessed his friend’s soul waver, he quickly grasped him by the shoulders and said, “<em>Hades</em>, we can yet find her! Come to your senses!”</p><p>“What…” Hades whispered, slowly refocusing. When he felt wetness on his face, he swiftly turned away from Hythlodaeus and wiped his tears away on his sleeve. “…you saw nothing.”</p><p>“But what did <em>you</em> see?” Hythlodaeus countered, watching as Hades clutched his chest, expression contorting in pain.</p><p>“That we must hurry,” Hades whispered, before looking for familiar landmarks. Then, he set off at a run.</p><p>Hythlodaeus frowned as he chased after his friend. Rarely did he ever stir himself to more than a walk. In which case…his vision must have contained the very, very near future.</p><p>The boy’s heart dropped into his stomach when Helios’s unconscious, fading form came into view. Her injuries didn’t <em>appear</em> overly threatening…but the creature stalking toward her most certainly was. With little effort, it could swallow her whole and be done with it.</p><p>“No…” Hades whispered, the air crackling around him, causing Hythlodaeus to step back. <em>“Servants of the Underworld, heed my call! Save…save our precious…”</em></p><p>Dozens of aetheric creatures erupted from the ground and raced toward the threatening monster, barreling into it, forcing it away from Helios. Hythlodaeus glanced at his distraught friend briefly as he passed him, before continuing to Helios—her need was more urgent. Kneeling by the unconscious girl, Hythlodaeus gritted his teeth. Her flesh was torn open in numerous places, though she seemed to have avoided breaking anything. Carefully, he sought to heal her, and then grimaced—a severe blow to the head. Between that, the pain, and the blood loss, it was no wonder she was unconscious.</p><p>Hythlodaeus glanced to the side when he sensed movement from Hades. Grief and despair had been replaced by anger upon his friend’s face. The myriad energies of the Underworld flower around him, his form altering, darkness coalescing that he might bring it to bear against the creature that dared harm Helios.</p><p>Narrowing his eyes, Hythlodaeus spoke, “If you don’t help me get her somewhere safe where we can start a fire, she will not live long enough to be your ‘precious’ <em>anything</em>.”</p><p>Hades stopped in his tracks, heart skipping several beats. His transformation vanished, his lips parting in shock. Then, he turned his gaze to the denizens of the Underworld he had summoned. “…destroy that creature, then return home. I must… Helios is…”</p><p>“She’s cold,” Hythlodaeus spoke quietly as Hades joined him. “There should be suitable caves nearby. Do you want to carry her, or shall I?”</p><p>“I…don’t know if I can…” Hades didn’t finish his sentence, but it was enough. Hythlodaeus lifted the limp, bloodied Helios and made for the nearest cave.</p><p>“Something else is wrong, but I can’t investigate properly when exposed to the elements and monsters,” Hythlodaeus spoke to fill the silence. “Did your vision show any threats other than that monstrosity?”</p><p>“No,” Hades whispered.</p><p>“…just what did you…” Hythlodaeus glanced to his distraught friend, who again clutched his chest, seeming as if perhaps he was struggling to breathe through his emotions.</p><p>“…it was going to tear her into shreds and feed her to…to it’s young.” Hades brought a hand to his mouth, then darted away to lose the contents of his stomach.</p><p>Hythlodaeus shut his eyes briefly and sighed.</p><p>Of course. Forced to choose between the life of their friend, and that of one of the island creatures. One which was a mother. That was certainly not a manner of choice Hades was prepared for. Nor was he, truth be told. With such importance placed on all life, being forced to choose was not something either of them was equipped for.</p><p>Nor would Hades be able to watch a dear one be mauled <em>twice</em>.</p><p>“M-my anger got the better of me…” Hades spoke, voice hoarse when he caught up to Hythlodaeus. “It had young cubs! Seven of them! And now…”</p><p>“Then go see if you can yet save it <em>and</em> Helios,” Hythlodaeus sighed at Hades, then motioned to a nearby cave. “I will ward the entrance so that only you may enter, and I will begin tending to Helios’s wounds. Do what you feel you must, then join us—but don’t give yourself over to the same fate you wished for her to avoid.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>When Hades entered the cave some while later, his heart clenched upon spotting Helios lying unconscious near the fire. Her soul was brighter than before, yet still dimmer than it should have been. Blood stained her clothes, hair, and skin.</p><p>“Have you calmed enough to create?” Hythlodaeus asked tiredly, unpacking several things he had brought with him.</p><p>“What do you need?” Hades asked, taking a moment to steel himself before joining his friends. His gaze drifted to Helios again. <em>…why, why do you mean so much to me? I scarcely know you, and yet…</em></p><p>“Bandages, for one, but I am going to need several plants that aren’t capable of growing in this season…” Hythlodaeus rattled off the names of plants one-by-one, and Hades created them as asked. Then, Hythlodaeus began to prepare them into a salve, grinding them with a mortar and pestle. “Don’t bandage her yet. We have to soak them first with this.”</p><p>“But her bleeding…” Hades faltered, then sat back on his heels. “Have you any idea why she fled again?”</p><p>“This time? No. She’s been so distressed since yesterday that I couldn’t get a good read.” Hythlodaeus shook his head, then added more ingredients to his concoction. “You spoke with her last night, you said?”</p><p>“Yes… And I believe she may have misunderstood when I bid her goodnight,” Hades answered softly, pained by the notion that he may have nearly caused her death.</p><p>“It doesn’t take much for her to leap to conclusions…” Hythlodaeus sighed heavily. “Were it not for our knowledge of her life before Aeacus, one might think her to be her own worst enemy.”</p><p>Hades carefully ran his fingers through Helios’s hair, uncertain if he was attempting to comfort her or himself.  “Her wounds should be cleaned, at least.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus studied his defeated friend a moment.  “<em>Well</em>, if you wish to help, you will hear no complaints from me. Do be careful, however, as some of her injuries are…intense.”</p><p>Hades nodded, then prepared what he needed. Kneeling beside Helios, he hesitated. Was the star conspiring to take her away…or was this a test? A test to make certain he was deserving of the Underworld’s gifts, his friend Hythlodaeus…and her. The mirror to his abilities, the one person who embodied death in all its wonders and horrors.</p><p>The first person to make his soul sing and feel alive.</p><p>She filled the world with color simply by being present.</p><p>“I think this will be enough,” Hythlodaeus carried a large bowl over, then dropped several bandages into it, submerging them fully. “Let us see to her injuries, then we can determine what to do about food…and returning to the village.”</p><p>Over the next few hours, the pair carefully tended to their friend’s wounds and bandaged them. Not content to have her rest on the cave floor, the boys agreed to create a better nook for her to rest in at the back of cave.</p><p>Then, they enhanced the wards protecting the cave—nothing was permitted to pass through aside from the boys.</p><p>“It’s getting late,” Hythlodaeus glanced up at the night sky from the mouth of the cave, then shifted to look at Hades. “We shouldn’t split up. Can you send a messenger to inform Miss Althaia what happened, and where we are?”</p><p>“A messenger…?” Hades murmured.</p><p>“Well, you <em>did</em> call the Underworld to your side,” Hythlodaeus pointed out, crossing his arms in his sleeves. “I would think a messenger to be a trivial task for you, our dear Lord of the Underworld.”</p><p>Hades clenched his jaw. If he truly was ‘Lord’ of the Underworld…then what was Helios? After all, she had mastered her transformation faster than him—the crystal she’d gifted to him held details about their battle forms that would have otherwise taken him years to learn. Was it simply the product of her circumstances, or was <em>she</em> even closer to the Underworld than he?</p><p>“Don’t call me that,” Hades finally grumbled, before closing his eyes and concentrating, reaching out to the Underworld’s currents. The whispers of innumerable souls filled his being, but he pressed onward until he felt a different manner of presence—those who <em>existed</em> in the Underworld. Dark, protective, powerful, <em>inhuman</em> presences.</p><p><em>My lord? Is Helios alright?</em> Several voices clamored their concern, their presences reaching out in answer.</p><p>Hades hesitated before speaking, <em>She is fine…for the moment. However, I require one of you to assist me—a message must be delivered to Miss Althaia in Aeacus. Hythlodaeus and I cannot risk moving Helios ourselves…or traveling at night.</em></p><p>Aether roiled, and apparitions appeared around the boy, kneeling, their heads hung. One, a creature several times the height of an adult, spoke first, <em>“My lord. I will guard this place.”</em></p><p>Several smaller beings perked up next, <em>“And we can find, hunt, or make anything you desire!”</em></p><p>Then, a serpent with crystalline scales slithered forward. One which Hades promptly recognized as the creature <em>Helios</em> had made during class. <em>“I will sssee to your messsage, my lord. My creator wissshed that I ssserve you. Thisss will let me ssshow her my thanksss, and asssissst you as ssshe wissshed.”</em></p><p>“Hm hm hm. I was wondering where you went…” Hythlodaeus mused, studying the serpent. “Helios must have been too embarrassed to tell Hades outright…”</p><p>Hades steeled himself, then gave the shining serpent his message to relay. Then, in an instant, the denizens of the Underworld vanished to see to their tasks. Without a word, Hades turned and wandered back into the cave, then sat heavily beside the slumbering Helios.</p><p>“Why not try to rest?” Hythlodaeus offered, smiling at Hades. “That creation of hers will—”</p><p>“You knew why she created that serpent?” Hades asked quietly, settling a glare on his friend.</p><p>Hythlodaeus grinned. “I had my suspicions. She was delighted when you praised her creation—it was the words of our classmates and teachers that crushed her. Between classes, I spied her murmuring to it as if holding a discussion—then it teleported itself somewhere. When I questioned her, she said it had gone somewhere safe. And that some part of her wished she could go with it—but she didn’t wish to leave you alone.”</p><p>Hades looked away. If she was in such pain, then why hold on for him? His lips drew into a tight line, his heart aching. There had to be some way to ease her pain. She had been doing so much better until their recent assignment.</p><p>At that, Hades frowned and looked to Hythlodaeus. “Then, do you perhaps know how it is she created those crystals instead of a cubus?”</p><p>At that, Hythlodaeus grinned. “I do, but for fear of embarrassing her further, I think I will keep that to myself, my friend. Suffice it to say…she wishes to prove herself useful and gifted. Not to the people of Aeacus…but to us.”</p><p>“Us?” Hades scoffed.</p><p>“To me, to prove she’s not simply ‘intruding’ on our friendship,” Hythlodaeus laughed, a good-natured smile spreading across his face. “And to you, our dear Lord of the Underworld. She fears that you may not see her talents and mind as…satisfactory.”</p><p>Hades sighed heavily, then looked down at Helios. He hadn’t the faintest idea of how to make her understand that the friendship being offered to her wasn’t…transactional. That they had welcomed her because they genuinely enjoyed her company and found her interesting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Eleven</h1><p> </p><p>Helios awoke in pain and curled in on herself, her eyes tearing up. It took several moments for her mind to clear enough to realize…she shouldn’t have been alive. Nor should she have been laying on something fluffy. She hesitated, opening her eyes to discover she was in a cave and on a makeshift bed.</p><p>Some ways away, she spotted Hythlodaeus by a fire, his back to her. However, he shifted and raised a finger to his lips, then pointed somewhere behind her.</p><p>The girl carefully shifted, finding a rather distressed Hades asleep beside her, his fists clutching her robes. Helios frowned as she studied his face, then carefully adjusted herself so she could try to reclaim her robes from his clutches. Alas, that resulted in a panicked grasping, and Helios wound up with the boy’s arms around her torso.</p><p>Hythlodaeus stifled his laughter and wandered over, crouching next to the pair with a smile. Quietly, he spoke, “You will simply have to forgive him. We thought you dead when we found you.”</p><p><em>…then he… Hmn. Did I misunderstand?</em> Helios’s gaze drifted away from Hythlodaeus, and back to Hades for a moment. Then, she looked to their friend and quietly asked, “Can you help me sit up, please?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus shifted, kneeling, and gingerly helped Helios into a sitting position. The girl hissed in pain, eyes watering as her wounds pulled. Once all was said and done, Hythlodaeus rested her back against several pillows. Hades’s head ended up in Helios’s lap, his fists still entangled with her robes. The girl hesitated, unsure where to place her hands, while Hythlodaeus pulled a blanket up over Hades’s shoulders.</p><p>“Helios, I must ask you cease running off like this,” Hythlodaeus began gravely, his piercing gaze resting on his troubled friend. “You <em>worried</em> us. But beyond that, Hades has yet to learn to control his visions of the future. <em>He was forced to watch you be mauled to death.</em> Never have I seen him so distraught, so consumed by emotion. He lost control of himself and commanded the Underworld to aid him in protecting you.”</p><p>“That’s…” Helios took a moment, her gaze falling to their companion. She heard in Hythlodaeus’s voice that he spoke true, yet it boggled her mind. She had believed he wanted her gone, yet…it was the opposite? Furthermore, he had roused the Underworld to assist in keeping her alive? “…why is it that you both wish to include me, when our other classmates… Is it pity?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus sighed and took a seat to Helios’s left. “Our souls are connected, yours and his most especially. He has had visions of you for years—and when he foresaw your death, he implored Azem and Emet-Selch to intervene. You are precious to the Underworld…and to him by extension. And the both of you are precious to me. My dear friends, likeminded individuals to grow and learn with.”</p><p>“…you don’t feel as though I’ve disrupted your friendship and intruded?” Helios asked quietly.</p><p>Sighing, Hythlodaeus offered Helios a mug of tea, and gave her a welcoming smile. “Let me put it this way—Hades and I would be cross if you <em>didn’t</em> become our friend. The three of us can do anything together and, as the two of you exist between Life and Death, it is my privilege to ground you both firmly <em>in</em> life.”</p><p>“Hmn.” Helios’s attention drifted down to Hades again. The boy seemed to have finally relaxed and drifted into a deep sleep, his fists having gone loose, his body completely limp. “I… I-if you’re certain, then… I can’t promise I won’t chase after threats, but I won’t run away from…from ‘home’ anymore.”</p><p>“It’s a start,” Hythlodaeus remarked with a smile. Then, he laid back with a sigh. “Really, when it comes to chasing threats, just…try to call on us. Catching up and healing you like this is…exhausting…”</p><p>Helios blinked at Hythlodaeus in surprise as he promptly fell asleep as well, his head lolling onto her shoulder. Mildly distressed, Helios glanced around for somewhere to place her mug. Finding nowhere to place it, she guzzled the remaining contents in one go and then concentrated, managing to levitate it back over near the fire.</p><p>Letting out a relieved sigh, she looked between the two sleeping boys. There was no way she could get up now…even if she had wished to break her promise and sneak off. Nor could she lay back down. Biting back a resigned grumble, she closed her eyes and willed herself back to sleep.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Althaia hurried along with the group of guards from the village, following the glowing crystalline serpent as it weaved through the air, leading them to her charges. After hours of traveling on foot, the group came across where Helios had fallen—the bloodstains made Althaia’s chest tighten. Around the area, stretches of sand and parts of trees had crystalized in answer to the powers called upon by Hades in his distraught state. The violet fragments glowed with faint light, illuminating the area and the tracks leading away from it.</p><p>Up the pass the serpent led them, to an intricate ward hiding the mouth of a cave. With a flick of its tail, the serpent altered the barrier, permitting Althaia to stride through. Her lips parted in surprise upon spotting the children in the back of the cave. Their fire had gone dim, and Hythlodaeus had fallen asleep with his head on Helios’s shoulder. Hades, however, had his head in the girl’s lap and had wrapped his arms around her legs as if he were clutching a pillow.</p><p><em>“My lord, I brought the villagersss, as you asssked.”</em> The serpent drifted over to Hades, coiling at the foot of the makeshift bed and bowing its head. <em>“I will be in the Underworld ssshould you have further need of me.”</em></p><p>With that, the serpent disappeared as Hades stirred and lifted himself from Helios’s lap—a detail he seemed to notice a little late. The moment he realized, he flushed crimson and looked to the adults hissing, “Not a <em>word</em>! You saw nothing.”</p><p>Althaia gave him a relieved smile. “I was worried about the three of you! Never did I expect to see Helios’s creation come serve as messenger on your behalf—or bearing such grave news.”</p><p>Hades’s gaze became hollow, drifting away from the adults and shifting instead to look at Helios. He hesitated, then pulled himself to his feet and approached the adults. “We can speak outside. They need rest.”</p><p>With that, Hades walked past them and through the ward, leaving them little choice but to follow. Althaia studied the boy’s soul as she went after him, noticing a faint blemish upon it—a darkened spot that she knew to be the scar of trauma.</p><p>“What happened?” Althaia asked softly.</p><p>Hades looked away, clenching his fists. “…we were almost too late. I had a vision. Had I not, perhaps we <em>would</em> have been too late, but I… I saw something terrible. In trying to save her, I lost control and nearly destroyed one of the island’s wild inhabitants. If I had…its seven cubs…”</p><p>The boy went silent and looked away, ashamed of his moment of weakness and despair.</p><p>Althaia knelt by Hades and gave him a warm smile. “Yet you saved Helios and reined in your ‘subjects,’ did you not? You did well in the face of horror, Hades. She is going to be alright—and so will you.”</p><p>“I cannot bear to watch her die again. Not for a third time,” Hades stated, his voice a hoarse whisper. “My heart will not survive it.”</p><p>Althaia’s eyes widened at the confession. She knew, of course, that Hades had witnessed Helios’s would-be demise and entrapment on that distant, savage island. This near tragedy marked a second…and it had nearly broken him. She studied the aetheric bonds stretching between Hades and Helios, her lips tugging into a small frown. Only death could break their bond…and even that was questionable. At least in their current state, she suspected Hades wouldn’t survive if Helios met an early end.</p><p>And for Helios, there was little tying her to this coil to begin with.</p><p>“We must focus on teaching you to control your visions, then,” Althaia offered quietly, earning a tearful glance from the boy. She gave him a comforting smile and rested a hand on his shoulder. “Helios is drawn to conflict. The nature of your gift is wont to show you possibilities of the future—if you are not taught to control it, you will see many more potential tragedies.</p><p>“Now, why don’t we see about rousing your friends and heading home? It wouldn’t do to stay so far from Aeacus for too much longer.”</p><p>Hades nodded reluctantly, following the adults back into the cave. After some encouragement from Althaia, Hades crouched beside his friends and murmured to them. Hythlodaeus, to his credit, promptly woke. Noting their escort, he got to his feet and began packing his supplies, leaving Hades to try and waken Helios.</p><p>“Helios…” Hades called softly, lifting a hand to her forehead to check her temperature. She seemed mostly fine, so he frowned faintly. Her expression was no longer one of rest, causing a pang of concern to lance through his heart.</p><p>“I see…she has visions as well?” Althaia murmured quietly, wracking her mind for the information Azem and Emet-Selch had divulged. When she remembered, her eyes widened. “Awaken her quickly, even if you must inflict pain! Her gift permits her to see the past!”</p><p>Hades didn’t hesitate. He reached out and clasped one of Helios’s bandaged arms and spoke, <em>“I command you to awaken.”</em></p><p>Helios’s eyes flew open and she winced, turning to look at Hades questioningly as his grip on her arm rapidly loosened. “H-hey, that hurt. What—?”</p><p>“It was necessary, you needed to wake up,” Hades answered quietly, unable to meet Helios’s gaze. “Forgive me.”</p><p>Helios stared at him, positively baffled. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”</p><p>Althaia giggled at the exchange, causing Helios to finally notice their present company. “Helios, are you well enough to walk?”</p><p>“…no,” Helios answered after a moment. “I’m dizzy. Walking wouldn’t be a good idea…”</p><p>“I can carry—” Hades started to offer, but Althaia shook her head.</p><p>“Over rough terrain and for several hours? I think not.” Althaia turned to the guards accompanying her. “I’ll conjure a gurney. Two of you will carry her with it. The boys appear fine to walk, but if they show signs of weakening, we will carry them too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twelve</h1>
<p> </p>
<p>Helios turned a piece of auracite between the fingers of one hand, then looked at the different crystal in her other. Magicite, and auracite.</p>
<p>While Hades and Hythlodaeus were off at school, Helios had remained abed to wait for her injuries to mend. However, she was not content to sit around and do nothing—so she took it upon herself to create. First, she had begun by producing more auracite for study. She knew Hades was being truthful when he told her that it was a wonderful creation and, after further encouragement from Althaia, Helios had resigned herself to determining <em>why</em>.</p>
<p>Once she’d managed to get past the scars of humiliation left by other classmates, Helios came to an understanding; the material was immensely flexible in its uses. It held near limitless potential, especially for teaching and learning endeavors as Hades suggested. Furthermore, it appeared to have immense storage capacity. In the auracite she held now, she had transcribed her entire life—yet there was scarcely a reduction in space.</p>
<p>Then, there was the new creation in her other hand. Magicite. While it didn’t have the ability to store memories and such akin to auracite, it <em>was</em> capable of storing vast amounts of aspected aether. It seemed many times more powerful than naturally occurring crystals, and more beautiful—besides.</p>
<p>Helios frowned to herself as she looked between the two crystals. The magicite, she figured, she could infuse with a little more power every day for a thousand years and it still wouldn’t reach its maximum capacity. Yet, that which went in could also be drawn out. In emergencies, such a trinket would be priceless.</p>
<p>The auracite, she struggled with. For her, she thought it didn’t have much application—it was others who would benefit. After having caught Hades up to speed regarding battle forms, she knew he would surpass her by leaps and bounds. Even if he didn’t know it yet, he was far more connected to the Underworld than her. <em>She</em> knew it, though. <em>I’m…hmm, another guard dog, perhaps? Yes, that would be accurate. The others work from the Underworld, leaving me as his protector in the physical realm.</em></p>
<p>Helios’ lips parted in realization. Of course. That would be a factor in why they went to such lengths to keep her alive. If she disappeared, his only protector would be one without a connection to the Underworld. Hythlodaeus was gifted, certainly, but he couldn’t communicate.</p>
<p><em>Okay! Then I need to stick around!</em> Helios closed her fists around the crystals, nodding to herself. <em>It’s settled! I’ll live for Hades! With us on his side, nothing will stand in his way or hurt him. I’ll endure whatever I must.</em></p>
<p>Helios looked down at the auracite shard containing her life’s memories, then quickly hid it away where no one could stumble across it. Then, she pocketed her magicite and headed for the school to seek out Althaia.</p>
<p>…of course, Fate had other plans.</p>
<p>Hades stirred; his gaze drawn from his lunch to the approaching blue glow. A frown touched his lips, unease settling in his chest as he tracked it carefully.</p>
<p>“Hmmm, she shouldn’t be up and about yet,” Hythlodaeus mused, his tone hint enough that he had a smug look on his face yet again. “Why don’t you go intercept her? I think she will be more likely to listen to you.”</p>
<p>Hades made a show of sighing in reluctance as he rose to his feet, even though he’d planned as such before Hythlodaeus had deigned to suggest it. “Very well…”</p>
<p>Hythlodaeus let out a short laugh. “If she caught you behaving thus, she might think you meant it.”</p>
<p>As he turned away to seek out their friend, Hades frowned. It was a troubling thought. He would have to determine a way to deflect Hythlodaeus’ insinuations without making Helios believe it was about her. After all…it was clearly dangerous for her to believe that he found her unsatisfactory in some regard.</p>
<p>Hades stepped into the shadows, melding with them, and didn’t stop rushing between them until he reached the school gates. Stepping out of the darkness, he called, “Helios, you’re supposed to be resting.”</p>
<p>Helios turned back to look at Hades in surprise, then a brilliant, warm smile spread across her face, making Hades feel as though his heart had stopped.</p>
<p>“Hades! I should have known you would catch me,” Helios greeted him, shifting to walk over and join the flushed boy. “Since I was bored…I decided to revisit my creation of auracite, then I had another idea and well… I thought I would come submit it to Miss Althaia and see what she thinks.”</p>
<p><em>Then she isn’t here for me…us. She isn’t here to fetch us,</em> Hades swiftly corrected his train of thought. “Ahem. You were meant to be taking your ease…but…since you’re here… Why don’t I accompany you to her office? You can even apprise me of this new creation on the way.”</p>
<p>“You’d like to know more?” Helios asked hopefully, leaning closer to Hades as she studied his face.</p>
<p>“W-well, it <em>was</em> me who encouraged you regarding your auracite,” Hades reminded her, taking a half-step back for fear she might hear his thudding heart.</p>
<p>Helios beamed at him. “Okay, join me then! I should be glad for the company.”</p>
<p><em>W-what is this change in behavior?</em> Hades swiftly fell into step with Helios, keeping his attention rapt as she explained her newest creation.</p>
<p>The voices of the Underworld giggled through his mind. <em>She has found something to live for! What you’re witnessing, my lord, is what happens when someone finds purpose.</em></p>
<p><em>Purpose?</em> Hades wondered, studying Helios’ profile. <em>Just what is she up to now…?</em></p>
<p>“Miss Althaia,” Helios greeted their teacher with a smile as the pair wandered into the office. “I have a new concept I wish to submit.”</p>
<p>Althaia looked between the two, taking note of how terribly flustered Hades appeared, then shifted her attention to the unusually cheerful Helios. “A new concept? Aren’t you still recovering, little one? I’m sure Hades here is quite worried for you.”</p>
<p><em>M-must she be so blunt?</em> Hades flushed crimson, crossed his arms, and looked away from the pair. Then…he recalled Hythlodaeus’s warning. “Of course I’m worried. The pleasure of her company isn’t the <em>only</em> reason I joined her.”</p>
<p>Althaia giggled at that, then looked to Helios. “Tell me, what prompted you to work in crystalline concepts, Helios?”</p>
<p>“A-ah well, you see…” Helios flushed and wrung her hands together. “I… Can I be honest?”</p>
<p>“Of course, dear one, honesty is preferred,” Althaia encouraged her.</p>
<p>“Well, Hades took interest in even my first creation, so…” Helios turned redder, struggling to get her words out.</p>
<p>Hades, however, stared at her in disbelief. Before he could rein himself back, he responded, “You flatter me, but I would prefer you pursue the creation of whatever it is that would make <em>you</em> happy. Given the other’s reactions—”</p>
<p>Helios clenched her fists and turned a stubborn pout upon Hades, silencing him. “What makes <em>me</em> happy is to make you— I-I mean, to make my friends smile! It’s…um, it’s the least I can do after being so…”</p>
<p>“You could just <em>apologize</em>, if it is bothering you.” Hades sighed at her, his mouth quirking into a sympathetic smile. “Not that I am any better about it.”</p>
<p>“Words mean nothing,” Helios murmured, bringing a knuckle up to her lips as she thought. Then, she nodded to herself and fixed her piercing gaze on Hades. “Mn! I’ve decided. Actions will speak louder than anything I can say.”</p>
<p>Althaia watched the pair with amusement, her cheek propped against her fist as she watched the children practically trade who was blushing brightest. She let them sort their ‘conflict’ among themselves for several minutes before speaking up, “Now then…this magicite of yours, Helios?”</p>
<p>“O-oh, right!” Helios turned to look at Althaia. “It’s more efficient than naturally occurring elemental crystals. It can hold a massive charge, which can then be drawn upon as needed. However, unlike auracite, it can only hold aspected aether. After the alterations I’ve made to both concepts…you could say that auracite is a further refined adaptation of magicite.”</p>
<p>“I see…” Althaia studied the beautiful crystal, prodding at its construction to better understand its capacity and function. Once finished, she shifted her gaze to Helios. “Rather than submit this under the school’s name, we should submit both magicite and auracite under your name, Helios. These concepts are far more complex than what mere students usually submit. I would see you receive proper recognition for your contribution.”</p>
<p>“R-really?” Helios blinked up at Althaia in surprise. “T-they’re just crystals, I—”</p>
<p>“I <em>told</em> you they are extraordinary. What must we do to make you believe it?” Hades sighed and rested his forearm on her shoulder, leaning against her.</p>
<p>“W-well…” Helios murmured, uncertain how to handle praise from multiple angles. Finally, she looked to Althaia. “If you’re certain… Then, okay. What must I do?”</p>
<p>Althaia giggled when the bell rung, and she spotted a look of disappointment cross Hades’ face. “Run along to your next class, Hades. We will still be here by the time you are done for the day.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirteen</h1><p> </p><p>“Hmmm, are you sure I should take part in this festival?” Helios inquired as she hung upside-down on the sofa, reading a book about the occasion itself. “It says here that only those who have come of age should attempt it. I’ve got another few decades to go.”</p><p>“The elders insist,” Hades muttered, pacing irritably. “The ritual is exceedingly risky, yet they believe you impervious. I can’t claim to know what they’re thinking—if they are thinking at all!”</p><p>“Hm hm hm, why, I imagine they are thinking that she has already been exposed to more of the Underworld than the ritual does, between your powers and hers,” Hythlodaeus laughed at his friends. “The festival should be a drop of water in an ocean compared to the power you two take on in your battle forms—let alone when you merge.”</p><p>“Maybe…” Helios tilted the book around in her hands. “I don’t really understand much of it. The elders insist I perform the role, yet it’s as if everyone is mad at me for it…”</p><p>The boys exchanged a look, but it was Hythlodaeus who spoke up, “Why don’t we stop with such pursuits for the day and go play? Or relax with a novel? Or stargaze—it should be night soon.”</p><p>“Uh…” Helios paused, moving her book aside so she could stare at Hythlodaeus in confusion. “I don’t understand. What is ‘play?’”</p><p>Hades stopped what he was doing, his mouth shifting into a scowl. He struggled with himself as he listened to Hythlodaeus <em>attempt</em> to explain the idea to her. Finally, Hades resigned himself to making an offer he might regret, “Why don’t I teach you how to play chess? I think you might like it.”</p><p>“<em>Oh</em>? The unbeatable Hades is willing to take a protege under his wing?” Hythlodaeus asked smugly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now isn’t this a surprise? I thought only <em>challenges</em> were worth your time?”</p><p><em>…did he miss the part where Helios eclipses me in every ability at present?</em> Hades wondered, taking on a defensive posture.  “Helios is quite bright, especially when competition is involved. And, she said she wishes to improve her strategic—”</p><p>“<em>Did she now</em>? And when was this? Did the two of you go practice without me?” Hythlodaeus smirked when Hades glanced away. “I thought as much. Well, Helios? Are you going to let him teach you how to play chess?”</p><p>Helios looked between the two, eyebrow raised. “…what is chess, and why are you two being strange?”</p><p>“It’s a competitive, strategic game,” Hades answered, swiftly deflecting the second half of her question. “When someone says they wish to play…it usually means to play a sport or a game of some manner.”</p><p>“Oooh, so…like hunting! Hunting is a sport, right?” Helios perked up.</p><p>“…you could say that.” Hades half-smiled. “‘Playing’ is…something you do for fun, and different people find different things fun. I will understand if you decide you dislike chess.”</p><p>Hades set up the board, then motioned for Helios to join him. For the next several hours, Hades and Hythlodaeus watched in fascination as Helios quickly picked up the game—and became progressively more and more competitive with each match.</p><p>“And that is another win for me—but you are learning quickly,” Hades remarked, giving Helios an encouraging smile. He had to admit that, on some level, he felt relief that her talents hadn’t resulted in her mastering chess against him as well. After all, if he was ‘Lord of the Underworld’…what did that say about her, if she surpassed him in nearly every regard? Was she queen, and he a ‘mere’ lord, or…?</p><p>“Wait, why are you putting it away?” Helios frowned, leaning forward. “I wanted to—”</p><p>“We need to eat at some point,” Hades reminded her with a smile, at which she grumbled. Then, he looked to Hythlodaeus, who had taken to reading novel nearby. “Well, what should we have for dinner? Should we go into town, perhaps?”</p><p>“Must we?” Hythlodaeus glanced over.</p><p>Helios shifted in her seat to face him. “I believe it was your turn to stock the kitchen. Did you remember this time, Hythlodaeus?”</p><p>“Ah…” Hythlodaeus smiled sheepishly and slid a bookmark onto his novel, then closed it. “Dinner in the village it shall be.”</p><p>The trio left for the village, walking in comfortable silence as Helios’s gaze drifted to the stars above, and unaware of Hades studying her intently. Hythlodaeus, however, noticed his frown and followed suit. Dim. Something was still wrong, even with her wounds fully healed as they were. In private, they had asked Althaia about it, yet she saw nothing amiss.</p><p>“If it isn’t our favorite trio of troublemakers!” A warm voice called, pulling Helios’s attention from the sky. Her face lit up upon spotting Emet-Selch and Azem walking down the road towards them.</p><p>“I thought they had gone back to Amaurot…” Hades murmured quietly, studying the pair.</p><p>“You’re visiting Aeacus again already?” Helios inquired, then shot Hades a knowing smile—<em>one of them</em> had to pose his question more politely.</p><p>“The Convocation has taken an interest in the changes to this year’s festival,” Azem answered with a shrug, giving the girl a looking over—and promptly noticing the new scars. “…Helios, what happened to you?”</p><p>“Oh these? Well…” Helios flushed and promptly hid her arms behind her back, linking her hands together. “I got into a fight with something that thought I might be tasty. Everything is fine though because Hades and Hythlodaeus knew how to help.”</p><p>Azem sighed heavily and looked to the boys, both of whom were failing to play off the severity of the scenario Helios was attempting to skirt. “I must thank you both for keeping her safe. Given my struggles with <em>Emet-Selch</em> here, I understand only too well how you feel.”</p><p>“Why, I have no idea what you mean! I am the class example of—” Emet-Selch began, but Azem promptly yanked his companion’s sleeve up, revealing dozens of layered scars.</p><p>“Ever the ‘collector,’” Azem remarked dryly as the children peered at the man’s scarred arm. “Much like Helios here, Emet-Selch is wont to seek out threats and eliminate them, or challenge himself when no threats can be found.”</p><p>“Isn’t it <em>Azem’s</em> role to put down threats?” Hades scoffed before he could stop himself, earning a broad grin from Emet-Selch in answer.</p><p>“Why yes! Yes, it is! However, he is so terribly <em>measured</em> in his approach that it would be a miracle if he put a threat to the sword before it died of old age,” Emet-Selch exclaimed, crossing his arms loosely.</p><p>Helios laughed at the pair, drawing surprised glances from both Hades and Hythlodaeus—a detail that did not go missed by Azem.</p><p>“What are the three of you doing out at this time of night, anyway?” Azem inquired, looking between the three with curiosity.</p><p>“Dinner,” Hades answered simply.</p><p>“Hyth forgot to stock the kitchen,” Helios added with a dramatic sigh, crossing her arms. “I prefer <em>making</em> food instead of <em>creating</em> it, so…”</p><p><em>Hyth? He gets a nickname now?</em> Hades wondered, his heart sinking. He pulled his eyes away from Helios, letting his gaze drift to the ground. <em>O-of course, ‘Lord of the Underworld’ could be a nickname. And it isn’t as if my name could become much shorter, but…</em></p><p>Hades shook his head faintly. No. There was no need to be jealous. That Helios was becoming more comfortable was something to <em>celebrate</em>…even if he wished she might see fit to bestow a pet name on him as well.</p><p>“Dinner, is it? Then why don’t the three of you join us and tell us all about your adventures?” Azem offered with a welcoming smile.</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded his agreement, pulling his piercing gaze away from Hades. “And I would like to hear more about these creations Helios sent to be filed at the <em>Bureau of the Architect</em>. We were quite surprised when we heard that a child’s creations were being adapted at both Akadaemia Anyder and Anamnesis Anyder. There’s talks that they may replace our filing system in the capitol, as well.”</p><p>“Wh-what?! I…t-they’re just crystals!” Helios exclaimed, waving her hands in an emphatic ‘no.’</p><p>“Helios,” Hades began, gently gripping her wrists so she would stop flailing them about. He smiled warmly at his wide-eyed friend. “Such over-tuned modesty doesn’t suit you. They’re complimenting your efforts—<em>take it</em>.”</p><p>The Convocation pair exchanged amused looks but opted to keep their thoughts to themselves as they watched the gears in Helios’s head turn. Eventually, she pouted faintly and relented, her cheeks flushed as Hades moved away. Beside them, Hythlodaeus chuckled knowingly, looking much as if he had mischievous plots for later.</p><p>“Shall we?” Emet-Selch motioned up the street.</p><p>“It would be our pleasure to join you, most radiant Azem and most eminent Emet-Selch,” Hades answered formally, bowing his head briefly to the pair.</p><p>“Please, you needn’t be so formal,” Azem remarked with a smile.</p><p>“Hades is just <em>like that</em>,” Hythlodaeus mused, earning an irritated glare for it. “You said the Convocation has taken interest in the festival? Would that be due to the unprecedented young age of our star performer, here?”</p><p>“Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that?” Helios huffed.</p><p>“It is. The Convocation is concerned about Helios’s safety—and yours,” Emet-Selch answered, his expression becoming serious. After entering an eatery and requesting a more secluded table, he waited for his companions to settle in before expanding, “Traditionally, the role is filled by someone of age because their body and soul have finished growing, and as such are capable of allowing such boundless energies to pass through them.</p><p>“A child of fifty summers or less would be at great risk of their life energies burning out from the aetheric strain. Given some of the reports we’ve received… We were sent to determine if, perhaps, Helios’s selection was with malicious intent.”</p><p>Hades eyes narrowed, expression darkening. Though the change was unsurprising to his friends, the Convocation members were taken aback. That was not the expression of a mere child—far from it. <em>That</em> was someone who fully understood the gravity of what had been suggested.</p><p>“Then, are you aware that something remains amiss?” Hades asked coolly, looking between the adults. Helios let out a quiet scoff and glanced away but knew better than to intervene. “First, someone on your ship tried to poison her. Now, something has been ‘wrong’ since <em>before</em> she nearly… Since before a beast defeated her.”</p><p>“Hmm,” Emet-Selch murmured, his gaze trained on the uncomfortable girl. “My soul sight is not as strong as yours or Hythlodaeus’s, but I concur that something is amiss. Unnaturally so.”</p><p>That word caught Helios’s attention. “Unnatural, you say? Inflicted by man or beast?”</p><p>“…I see.” Azem’s jaw tensed, eyes fiery behind his mask. “Excuse me a moment. I should inform my sister.”</p><p>“Now?” Emet-Selch looked up at his partner as he rose to his feet and stormed out. A moment later, a look of recognition crossed his face, and he frowned.</p><p>“Well? What did he say?” Hythlodaeus smirked at Emet-Selch. “I must assume, bound as you are, that you can communicate through thought.”</p><p>“We can, but on this matter, I will not speak.” Emet-Selch slowly shook his head. “It will be dealt with. Under other circumstances…Azem and I would have taken Helios under wing as our daughter. We can’t help but be…a bit protective, if you will.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus grinned and rested his forearm on Hades’s shoulder. “Then we’ll have to try doubly hard to keep her in one piece! Isn’t that right, Hades~?”</p><p>“No, no, no, that won’t do!” Helios exclaimed, shaking her head. “I’m supposed to protect <em>him</em>, not the other way around!”</p><p>The corner of Hades eye twitched, a reflection of his quickly dwindling patience. Finally, he turned to Helios and snapped, “Then we can protect <em>each other</em>! It is pointless for only one of us to be protected.”</p><p>Emet-Selch smirked, rubbing his chin as he looked between the irritable Hades and startled Helios. The girl struggled to find a counterargument, her face flushing the longer the silence drew out. Hades, despite his snappy tone, had a good-natured aura about him, and an apologetic smile soon spread across his face. A smile that instantly put the girl at ease.</p><p>“We are both cherished by the Underworld, after all,” Hades continued, his tone more relaxed. “It wishes for us both to thrive, not just one or the other, lest you forget.”</p><p>Helios sat back in her seat with a huff. “Must you always be so…so…so <em>right</em> all the time?”</p><p>“Would you rather I be smug like Hythlodaeus?” Hades shot back.</p><p>“You get too close to <em>that</em> as it is,” Helios answered, her lips quirking into a smile as she looked to Hades again. The warmth in her expression made any snappy retort die in his throat.</p><p>Emet-Selch laughed and shook his head at them. “Come now, I want the three of you to order anything you like. Then, you can show me what sort of progress you have been making. I <em>hear</em> it’s a staggering amount for so little time, but I wish to see it for myself.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fourteen</h1><p> </p><p>Helios paced the beach barefoot, her mind lost in thought as the sound of the waves helped her mind focus. Aether coiled and warped around her continuously as she walked, shifting into new shapes whenever she passed through one of the starry arcs. Nearby, several twisted creatures lay dead on the beach, sporting what—to others—would look like strange markers.</p><p>She knew what they were—but why were they here? Azem and Emet-Selch had chosen to destroy her old village.</p><p><em>Then, these were released sometime before?</em> Helios paused to eye the creatures for the hundredth time in the past hour. <em>Then, it wasn’t merely people where were being raised from the dead, but wildlife and creations as well?</em></p><p>She resumed her pacing, lost in thought as the starlight shone down on the beach. So absorbed in her thoughts, she didn’t notice one of her companions had come to seek her out.</p><p>Hades tracked his pacing friend, a small frown on his lips as he watched the aether churn around her. It was as if the star itself responded to her mingled distress and distaste. As she paced, the aether she disturbed eventually made its way to the creatures she’d slain, as if meaning to attack them like an infection. Each time, Helios pulled that aether back with a subtle motion of one hand, her eyes glowing faintly with power each time she did so.</p><p>Eventually, Hades mustered the courage to approach. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he walked quietly toward her, feeling her aether shift toward him the moment he moved. Knowing he’d been discovered, he called out, “You should be getting some rest before the festival, but I see you discovered something troublesome.</p><p>“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you take to pacing.”</p><p>Helios drifted to a stop, turning her glowing gaze to him, a small smile spreading across her lips. “I was wondering how I might capture these ‘specimens’…and if you would be cross with me for waking you for help. I see that I didn’t need to worry about the latter. Can’t sleep?”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “I could have been on the far side of the island and I would have sensed your fight. If you must know, I was reading. You didn’t wake me.”</p><p>At that, a subtle but relieved smile. Helios turned to indicate her quarry. “This is…the work of my old ‘home,’ if we can call it that. They um… Bah, the word is on the tip of my tongue…”</p><p>“Necromancy?” Hades offered, coming to stand beside her. His lips pulled into a faint frown. “Yet, your ‘home’ was…<em>purified</em>, to be polite.”</p><p>“Mn. I think these were released into the ocean well before then.” Helios nodded. “But if they’d been releasing risen sea life…”</p><p>Hades nodded in understanding. “Then, it may have an adverse effect on the natural order. You wish to show these creatures to Azem and Emet-Selch, that they may pass them off to Mitron.”</p><p>“Can you read my mind?” Helios inquired bluntly, her gaze shifting to Hades.</p><p>He quickly shook his head. “Only when we combine our powers. I-I’ve considered it would be useful of we could communicate in that way when not merged, but I imagine we both prefer our privacy.”</p><p>Helios giggled at the lengthy response. “Then, you’re simply good at <em>guessing</em> what I’m thinking? You’re always so…<em>accurate</em>.”</p><p>“Well…it <em>is</em> an educated guess,” Hades answered defensively.</p><p>Helios shook her head. “We can research telepathy later. For now…do you happen to know the concept for imprisoning specimens? They’re going to rise again soon.”</p><p>“They…” Hades shifted to glower down at the undead creatures. Sure enough, they had begun to twitch. “Keep them off me. I will construct gaols.”</p><p>A quiet murmur of cooperation, and Helios dutifully moved herself between Hades and the aquatic creatures. He felt a pang of guilt upon witnessing her steadfast obedience but shook it from his mind so he could concentrate. Aetheric gaols, that they might have time to call upon a visiting member of the Convocation for assistance.</p><p>Hades closed his eyes, letting the sound of the Underworld fill his senses as he worked. Then…he sensed something new, a pressure bearing down on them with a desire to feast. He opened his mouth to warn Helios…then stared in disbelief as something about her very soul seemed to snap and warp, growing into an immense swell of astral darkness.</p><p>Stunned, Hades opened his eyes to find Helios’ darkness had manifested in such density around her that it was visible to the naked eye despite the fact she wasn’t working a spell. It fanned out behind her like wings as she squared off against the new intruder upon Aeacus—a shambling, undead giant with wooden stakes and ornaments hammered into its rotten flesh. Its dead eyes swollen in its head, draining of sea water as it waded out of the ocean.</p><p>“Helios—” Hades started, but it was like reaching out into a void. Panic gripped him. There was nothing there. It was as if her presence had been replaced by the hungering darkness that now drifted around her floating form. Consumed by an anger bordering on the divine.</p><p><em>This is like…</em> Hades’ lips parted realization hitting him. It was akin to when she had lost control to her powers before and cleansed the island, except this time it was the entirety of her power. Raw, bestial yet divine, and <em>terribly</em> offended by the presence of such malformed creatures. <em>I can control it.</em></p><p>Without any further hesitation, Hades closed the distance and grasped Helios’s aether and pulling it around himself like a blanket. He watched as her entire form dissolved into aether, then he closed his eyes and concentrated, pulling her into himself as the Underworld had once instructed.</p><p>Power radiated through his being as Helios’ soul coiled around his, dormant. As if her mind had completely shut off against this new threat in favor of primal instincts. Hades brandished his staff, miring the creature to buy time.</p><p><em>Helios, you can have your rest after our work is finished,</em> Hades reprimanded her, guiding his own aether to nudge hers. A spark of recognition followed by poorly managed rage. Hades pushed back against the onslaught with a snarl. <em>No. You will listen to me.</em></p><p>Hesitation, then she fought again.</p><p><em>Which one of us commands the Underworld?</em> Hades asked coolly, and Helios’s presence promptly stilled. <em>Come to your senses. I would prefer I </em>did not<em> have to manage every aspect of our combined power.</em></p><p><em>…i-it’s too strong for me to control,</em> Helios answered, uncertain.</p><p><em>It is part of you. You </em>can<em> control it,</em> Hades countered, feeling her wariness as her own darkness stalked their prey. <em>You have this gift for a reason. We can learn to control it.</em></p><p><em>We? </em>Came the hopeful question, making his heart flutter.</p><p><em>We,</em> Hades confirmed. <em>…I will not leave you alone. I promise you.</em></p><p>At that, warmth flooded through him as Helios’s soul coiled tight around him in lieu of a hug. Then, the pair got to work. Once the threats had all been incapacitated and contained, Helios staggered a few steps away from Hades and promptly landed on her butt in the sand.</p><p>“Are you alright?” Hades asked, alarmed. He knelt beside Helios, noting she was favoring her arm. Before she could hide it further, he caught her wrist and pulled her forward, revealing wounds he <em>thought</em> healed had reopened. “Helios…”</p><p>“I’m fine, it just caught me off—” She cut herself off with a whimper of pain as Hades wrapped a hand around her forearm and channeled one of the spells Hythlodaeus had helped him learn. “W-when did you learn that?”</p><p>“When we realized that, even with three of us present, injuries will happen,” Hades answered vaguely. He had no intention of letting her know it was a recent decision, or that it was inspired by her brush with death.</p><p>“…thank you,” Helios murmured, glancing away when Hades finally released her arm.</p><p>Hades said nothing, his gaze instead trained on the brilliant red blood staining his fingertips. A morbid urge to take a taste gripped him, unwilling to let him go and, before he could question himself, he had done precisely that.</p><p>His world exploded into a cacophony of glimmering color, vibrant streaks of life and death spiraling through all of creation in their immortal dance. The myriad tinkling and chime sounds of aether as it passed through everything around them. The Underworld’s currents and the innumerable souls within it replacing the sound of the ocean.</p><p>Then, in front of him, a figure equal parts night sky and vibrant dawn. The colors of life encircling and dancing around her, the Underworld lingering by her shadow and calming her otherwise intense aether. A nucleus of dense darkness kept deep at her core under lock and key—crying out to be freed. To be let loose on the star’s supposedly many blights.</p><p>“Hades?” Helios asked worriedly, as if it weren’t the first time she’d called for him. Warm hands came up to his face, pulling him back into reality. “Your eyes…”</p><p>“You’re…you’re close,” Hades stuttered in realization, but he dared not move. Though he had slightly refocused, the vision remained overlaid, not truly gone.</p><p>“Hold on,” Helios murmured. Her hands withdrew, and she swiftly created a mirror of black crystal and offered it to him. “Look.”</p><p>Hades took the mirror gingerly and held it up as instructed. He failed to stifle a gasp upon seeing the brilliant blue-green threads of the Underworld glowing in his otherwise golden eyes. <em>That’s… No, they’re just supposed to be tales! I </em>can’t<em> be… There is already an Emet-Selch, and </em>life<em> is more appropriate to</em>…</p><p>He shook his head swiftly, then looked to Helios. She seemed utterly unbothered by the change—or how it had happened. “We need to deliver these specimens to where the Convocation is staying for the festival, then get some rest. I…I don’t know how to turn this <em>off</em>.”</p><p>At that, she gave him a crooked smile and wiped her thumb by the corner of his mouth. “Well, why don’t you start by trying to wash it down with water, or something? Or, turn it ‘off’ like you do with your soul sight?”</p><p>“You aren’t…bothered?” Hades muttered, embarrassed. At the very least, he figured, he could refrain from informing anyone that her blood tasted like…like it was <em>meant</em> to be consumed. They would think he had lost his wits.</p><p>“Wouldn’t that make me a hypocrite if I were?” Helios gave him a reassuring smile. “You, at least, seem to gain something useful from your ‘oddity.’ I think that is likely much better than becoming an unhinged beast. In fact…I imagine you wouldn’t do well with the complete loss of control that comes with my power.”</p><p>“No…I can’t say I would enjoy that.” Hades smiled sheepishly, then rose to his feet. He turned, offering Helios a hand. “…nonetheless, thank you for your understanding. Will you accompany me to deliver these into more capable hands?”</p><p>“Of course. We wouldn’t want them breaking free.” Helios nodded, entwining her fingers with Hades, and giving him a bright smile. “You’re going to have to tell me all about what you saw. You looked fascinated.”</p><p>“W-well,” Hades stuttered, not sure how to take Helios’ comment <em>or</em> her apparent decision to hold his hand. “…must I?”</p><p>Helios’s expression turned playful at that. “It’s only fair, I think, seeing what it took for you to see the star in such a way.”</p><p>“…right.” Hades sighed softly. He considered, for a moment, that he could instead suggest that she divulge information about her own powers in return…but, seeing how she felt about that particular darkness within, he decided against it. “First, perhaps I should explain how the world appears with soul sight…”</p><p>- - -</p><p>Not long after, the weary pair arrived at the hotel housing the Convocation and expressed the urgency of their presence to the receptionist. Minutes later, a solitary Emet-Selch wandered down, a frown set on his face as he approached the children. He didn’t need to use any ability to tell they were physically, aetherically, and mentally exhausted.</p><p>“I see the urgency of your tidings wasn’t a jest,” he remarked tiredly. “What sort of trouble did you stumble across, dear ones?”</p><p>Hades raised a hand, snapping his fingers, and half a dozen concept matrices popped into existence. Beside him, Helios began her explanation of the attacking creatures, and how they had been subdued—carefully leaving out the details of her primal darkness and of Hades unorthodox experiment.</p><p>“I see…” Emet-Selch peered at the concepts used to trap the creatures, any hint of tiredness gone. “Then we may see yet more such creatures appearing on shores across the world. I will send word to all coastal villages and cities—once I see these specimens to Mitron.</p><p>“You both did well. Go home and get some rest before the festival whilst you can. You will need all your wits about you for the performance.”</p><p>Both Helios and Hades were too tired to argue, so they excused themselves without complaint and headed home.</p><p>“…you’re sure you want to participate, Helios?” Hades asked quietly. “Even after how much power we just expended?”</p><p>“I think I’ll be fine, and if I’m not, you can order the Underworld to behave,” Helios pointed out with a relaxed grin. “It wouldn’t dare disobey you.”</p><p>“How can you be so sure?”</p><p>Helios inclined her head, thinking. “Well, because the Underworld already bequeathed nearly the entirety if itself to you. What it didn’t give to you…it gave to me, that I might keep you safe.”</p><p>With that, Helios excused herself and retreated to her room to rest, leaving Hades to stare after her in disbelief. <em>He</em> had received more of the Underworld than she had? Then, what <em>was</em> her power? Beautiful and monstrous as it was, he had assumed it was the Underworld’s true colors. Yet, if he was mistaken…</p><p>Where could that power come from?</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifteen</h1>
<p> </p>
<p>Helios paced her room, taken by an abnormally cranky mood. She was clad in the island’s traditional garb for those seeking to become priests or priestesses of the Underworld, her every movement accompanied by the jingling of bangles and decorative coins.</p>
<p><em>Priestess? Tch, that would be a demotion at this juncture,</em> Helios quietly fumed to herself, fidgeting with one of the bangles by her wrist. Nearby, new chunks of magicite gleamed on her desk. She glanced at them hesitantly, then at the floor, uncertain. <em>No… Raw magicite won’t do. Let me see.</em></p>
<p>The fidgety girl picked up the piece of magicite she intended to give to Hades, then concentrated. Denizens of the Underworld swelled in excitement around her, giving of their aether to assist in her creation. She carefully reshaped the piece of magicite, then wove a medallion of platinum as its setting. Vine-like twirls of the pale metal encased the—for now—clear crystal.</p>
<p>Then, she turned her attention to the one for Hythlodaeus. After a moment, she nodded to herself and gave it a similar treatment—though his, she wove of gold and silver, following a starry theme to match his magics.</p>
<p>A small sigh escaped her as she finished and lifted the medallions, one in each hand. Beautiful pieces of art, or so she hoped. Her stomach fluttered with nerves, and she promptly headed downstairs to give her gifts. She wouldn’t bask in anxiety a moment longer.</p>
<p>“Helios? We might be late if…” Hades rounded the corner, clearly intending to come fetch her, then stopped when he spotted her descending. He flushed as if caught, then glanced away. “If you’re ready, then, we should make haste.”</p>
<p>“First, I have something for you and for Hythlodaeus. This one is yours.” Helios held out her closed hand to the awkward boy. “I wasn’t sure how best to thank the two of you so… Well, I confess I chose a more practical route.”</p>
<p>“What…?” Hades hesitated, then held out a hand. His eyes widened when she placed the medallion in his hand, but she swiftly turned crimson and hurried past him before he could express anything. He shifted to stare after the embarrassed girl for a moment, then looked back down to the trinket in his hand. “It’s beautiful, Helios. Thank you.”</p>
<p>“M-mhm,” she flushed brighter, bestowed Hythlodaeus’ gift to him, then turned for the door. “<em>I-I’ll be going now</em>!”</p>
<p>A crooked smile touched Hades’ lips as Helios fled the house. He strode over to Hythlodaeus, glancing at the medallion he’d been given. “Well, I admit it. You were right—she cares more than she wishes to let on.”</p>
<p>“Hm hm hm! Just so.” Hythlodaeus grinned, swiftly donning the medallion and giving the magicite a faint charge. In an instant, the crystal shone with vibrant emerald green. “She pays more attention than she lets on, as well… Those vines om yours, they are the spitting image of the ley lines in your sorcerer form.”</p>
<p>Hades looked to his own gift again, then similarly charged it, resulting in the crystal glowing with violet light. He couldn’t keep a smile off his face. “I think we’ve given her enough time to lose her embarrassment. Shall we catch up to her?”</p>
<p>“We should.” Hythlodaeus nodded. As they headed outside, he chuckled. “The island had become livelier with her around, hasn’t it? And I don’t mean the people.”</p>
<p>Hades followed the motion of Hythlodaeus’ hand, to a nearby plant that had exploded in growth, its flowers blooming nearly the size of Hades’ head. He clenched his jaw, fighting down his urge to snap at Hythlodaeus. Surely his friend knew full-well who had caused most…admittedly, all…of the local plants to thrive.</p>
<p>And it was certainly not ‘Death.’</p>
<p>“Hm hm hm. I thought as much.” Hythlodaeus nodded sagely. “She brings color to your world, and in return your energies make the star <em>thrive</em>. What, I wonder do you bring to <em>her</em> world?”</p>
<p>“Hythlodaeus, please,” Hades scoffed defensively.</p>
<p>“I would argue you bring her life,” Hythlodaeus continued, ignoring his friend’s protest. “After all, this change in her outlook seems wrought by her interactions with you, does it not?”</p>
<p>“Nonsense,” Hades muttered half-heartedly, though he couldn’t bring himself to raise a counterargument.</p>
<p>“Cheer up~ We’ve almost caught up!” Hythlodaeus teased before raising a hand and waving. “Helios! Wait for us!”</p>
<p>The girl in question hesitated, then relented. Helios slowed to a stop and waited for them, though her gaze seemed to see right through them, as if she weren’t fully present.</p>
<p>“You’re nervous?” Hades asked quietly upon catching up.</p>
<p>Helios’ lips pulled into a slight frown. “No. I know I can do it. It’s more that…there has to be a reason others think I can’t, and a reason the elders insist I do it anyway. So, I’m…suspicious.”</p>
<p>The boys exchanged a look, but it was Hythlodaeus who spoke, “As are we, which is one of the many reasons why we shall be on hand should anything go awry.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps the elders simply wish to garner favor with the Convocation?” Hades murmured, then shook his head. No. That wasn’t it—everyone knew that wasn’t how the Convocation functioned. However, he chose to keep his darker thoughts to himself. It was, he figured, every bit possible that there was malicious intent in having Helios perform the ritual—but perhaps not in the way Azem and Emet-Selch thought.</p>
<p>The danger wouldn’t be to her. It would be to others. If the elders honestly thought her one of the figures from their ancestral paintings, then…</p>
<p>“Hades?” Helios clasped her hands around one of his, pulling him back into reality. She smiled reassuringly. “It will be fine. Let’s go.”</p>
<p>He nodded in silence, his gaze drifting down to her scarred arms. Then, as she turned, his lips pulled into a frown. Traditionally dressed as she was…it revealed scars from neck to toes. Her hands and arms had the worst of it, but her torso and legs were marred as well.</p>
<p><em>The work of those savages, no doubt…</em> Hades’s gaze darkened, and Hythlodaeus followed his friend’s attention.</p>
<p>Hythlodaeus patted Hades on the shoulder, then took off after their friend, heading for the edge of the village, where guards would escort them to the ritual grounds.</p>
<p>“Miss Helios will be coming with us,” a guard spoke, separating the trio. He gave the glaring boys a sympathetic look. “Elder’s orders, I’m sorry. They want her delivered directly to the caves.”</p>
<p>“Tch.” Hades scowled, looking away in distaste.</p>
<p>“In that case, we will be cheering you on from the crowd,” Hythlodaeus spoke cheerfully, smiling warmly at Helios to put her at ease. “See you soon.”</p>
<p>Hades struggled with himself for a moment, then glanced bashfully to Helios. “You will be fantastic. “</p>
<p>With that, the boys swiftly parted ways with Helios, and she stared after them with a lopsided smile. Fantastic was one way to put it, she figured.</p>
<p>“They don’t know?” The remaining guard questioned.</p>
<p>Helios sighed heavily. “I <em>was</em> told not to say anything to anyone.”</p>
<p>The guard frowned slightly, but said nothing further, and instead ushered the girl to her destination—a cave deep within Aeacus’ mountains.</p>
<p>Helios looked around in awe at the cave walls, suffused with crystal as they were. The air hummed with aether, making her skin prickle. When she reached her destination, she discovered an altar covered in eons of bloodstains. An offering to the Lord of the Underworld, according to the paintings surrounding her. Taken with a blessed blade and offered to him to forge a timeless bond.</p>
<p>Her lips quirked into a faint frown as she felt the energy of the space. She was meant to make her offering, then return to the stage and perform a traditional dance meant to channel and guide darkness. Yet hadn’t she already given of her blood to him?</p>
<p>Helios’s eyes narrowed when she sensed shifting shadows and a hunger like the power she tried to keep locked away. Turning, she glowered down at the presence, watching as it halted in terror.</p>
<p>“You think to steal our lord’s gift?” Helios asked with unnatural calm. Making a motion with her hands, she concentrated, words spilling from her lips before she knew she was speaking them. <em>“Lord of the Underworld I serve, guiding unto him the wayward sparks of life. By our powers our star is balanced, whole—and we are one in our endeavors.”</em></p>
<p>The shadow fled in fear, the crystals of the room filling abruptly with the blue-green hue of the Underworld. Helios let out a small sigh, then looked to the altar. what was one more scar for the collection?</p>
<p><em>Stop,</em> the Underworld whispered as Helios reached for the crystal knife. <em>Lies, all of it. This power will not be given to our lord.</em> Reveal the betrayers<em>.</em></p>
<p>Helios’s eyes narrowed. <em>So that’s the way of it.</em></p>
<p>Darkness shifted around her, joining to her clothes and shadows like layers of floating veils, distorting and hiding her presence as she walked. Replacing the tribal garb of the liars with elegant robes of the Underworld’s choosing.</p>
<p>They would be judged.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Sixteen</h1><p> </p><p>“Something is wrong,” the words spilled from Hades lips, drawing the attention of the Convocation members closest to him. To his dismay, he and Hythlodaeus had been urges to accompany Azem and Emet-Selch in the audience—and the rest of the robed, hooded, and masked Convocation by extension.</p><p>Lahabrea looked to Emet-Selch for confirmation. “Is aught amiss?”</p><p>“Their bond is undeniable. If he believes something is wrong, then he is most likely correct in his assumptions.” Emet-Selch nodded once, then looked to the mountains. “What do you sense, Hades?”</p><p>The boy frowned, searching along his connection. Then, his face twisted into a scowl. “…betrayal, and divine wrath.”</p><p>“What…? Oh no.” Azem’s eyes widened in realization, then he turned to his compeers. “Whatever the girl does, <em>do not intervene.</em> Should she need to be stopped, Hades is more than capable.”</p><p>“<em>Stopped</em>?” Loghrif questioned doubtfully. “Azem, I think all here know there is no <em>stopping</em> the Underworld if it believes itself betrayed. We will let it take its course.”</p><p>Hades’s attention drifted, pulled, to the pathway leading onto the stage and his breath caught. Darkness and tiny, flickering lights accompanied a changed Helios. Carrying the Underworld’s judgment and altered by it, Helios’ pale blue-grey eyes shone with light. Horns adorned her skull, and feathered black wings extended behind her. Above her head floated the wicked crown that accompanied her knight transformation. Yet, her wild, opalescent hair remained loose around her shoulders.</p><p>The crowd went silent as shadows separated from her form in the shape of wolves, serpents, ravens, and owls. Watching the crowd. Studying. Hungering.</p><p>When Helios drifted to a stop and faced the crowd, a mere four words left her lips.</p><p>
  <em>“The Underworld shall be your judge.”</em>
</p><p>Dark tendrils tore through the crowd in search of their quarry, hunting the betrayers. Startled, Hades turned to track one, but then sensed movement to his right.</p><p><em>Found you.</em> Helios’s echoed through him.</p><p>Hades turned in surprise to find an elder raising a sword to swing down at him. There was a blur of shadow, and Helios appeared between him and the elder, transformed into her full knight form. Darkness warping everything around her as her clawed hand closed around the Elder’s soul.</p><p><em>“For betraying the Underworld, its lord, and plotting his murder—I give you death.” </em>Helios’s cold, dangerous words made Hades feel as if the world had gone still. <em>Murder?</em> Even the Convocation stared in shock as the Underworld directed the young girl’s hands, guiding her to each of the betrayers and to the slaughter.</p><p>“Hades…” Emet-Selch whispered, hand coming to rest on the boy’s shoulder. “She cannot stay like this overlong.”</p><p>“Why not?” Hades shot him a wary look. “What are you keeping from us?”</p><p>A shake of the head. “Someone tampered with Helios’s power. That darkness, should it take over, will consume all here.”</p><p>Hades gritted his teeth. So that was the way of it. Her power wasn’t what was unnatural—it was the separation. Scowling, Hades got his feet and strode purposefully toward where Helios had retreated. The Underworld’s denizens and Helios’s darkness parted for him but closed behind to keep out intruders.</p><p>Lifting his hands, Hades beckoned to Helios. Stabbing her sword into the ground first, Helios knelt and lowered her head drawing closer to her beckoning lord. Even masked as she was, he sensed her control beginning to fray. uncertainty tinging her presence.</p><p>Hades took hold of the mask hiding her transformed face and lifted it away, revealing a face that some might call monstrous. Numerous slit pupils averted their gaze, uncertain. He gave her a reassuring smile and gently took her face in both hands, whispering, <em>“It’s alright, Helios. I’ve got you.”</em></p><p>Her lips parted to reveal two sets of lengthy canines as clarity returned to her myriad eyes. Then, she bowed her head and let go—allowing Hades to bend her aether around himself, taking on their combined form. However, this time, she opened her mind to him fully. Their essences blended, and Hades understood what had happened. What resulted in his beautiful monster taking on the role of executioner.</p><p>Turning, they looked to the stunned Convocation. <em>“We discovered evidence of crimes committed against the Underworld. Come, and we will show you.”</em></p><p>Immediately, the Convocation of Fourteen was on their feet and following the strange pair.</p><p>Hythlodaeus fell into step with Azem and Emet-Selch, his voice quiet, “Do not pressure them to part. Hades needs time to calm Helios down. She must have discovered something distressing. This is <em>not</em> simply born of whatever was done to separate her darkness.”</p><p>Loghrif’s eyes narrowed behind her mask. “<em>Separated</em>? For what purpose?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus shook his head.</p><p>Azem offered, “We are still investigating, but the girl will need guidance to reintegrate her power. Already, we are seeing hints that she is…struggling.”</p><p>Lahabrea cast a glance back at the scene left by the vengeful child. The elders laid lifeless, yet there wasn’t a mark upon them. Their souls had been plucked clean and, he figured, likely erased for the crime of plotting murder. “…the girl is powerful, as you reported. However, you <em>did not</em> report the full nature of her power.”</p><p>Emet-Selch shook his head. “We didn’t have a full understanding either.”</p><p>“Of course not. Even they don’t understand yet,” Hythlodaeus remarked cheerfully, his gaze on his friend’s merged souls. An amused smile formed on his lips, “Whatever has happened to Helios’s darkness, Hades has it well in hand.”</p><p>Althaia hurried after the Convocation and Hythlodaeus. “They are my students! I wish to see for myself what is amiss.”</p><p>Igeyorhm crossed her arms in her sleeves and narrowed her eyes at Lahabrea, silencing his protest before he could voice it. Then, she turned a smile to Althaia. “Azem’s sister, Althaia, if I’m not mistaken? You said these three are your students?”</p><p>“Then, it was you who helped the girl submit her creations,” Lahabrea murmured, his attention shifting from Althaia. “I owe you thanks for seeing to it her creations were registered. already, we have discovered many applications at the Akadaemia.”</p><p><em>“This is the cave Helios was taken to,”</em> the children spoke, their combined voice more Hades’s than hers. <em>“We will remain here while you investigate.”</em></p><p>Hythlodaeus stopped by his friends and said nothing until the Convocation and Althaia had all disappeared into the cave. Then, he turned his attention upward to their combined form. “Do you need assistance, my friends? I don’t believe I’ve seen your souls so entangled before “</p><p><em>“No,”</em> came two separate answers.</p><p>The air shuddered, their souls drifting apart. In a swirl of power, the children separated, levitating to land lightly on their feet. Helios promptly scowled at her attire, and Hades conjured a robe, offering it to her.</p><p>“Thank you,” Helios grumbled, promptly yanking it over her head. Then, she looked to Hades with a small frown. “I’m…sorry you had to see that “</p><p>“Don’t be. Removing corruption from our island—and from our star—was the correct decision.” Hades shook his head, turning to study her. “Let us pray that the Convocation can cleanse what has come of the altar.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus peered at them. “Then it is quite serious?”</p><p>“Helios is <em>holding back</em>,” Hades stated, his gaze shifting to their friend.</p><p>“Helios? Showing restraint? Now that is new.” Hythlodaeus smiled at Helios. “And what prompted thus development?”</p><p>“Hmn, it would take dozens of people’s life energies to cleanse the corruption. Hades— I mean, y-you both would be terribly cross if I did it myself.” Helios flushed and turned away.</p><p>The children waited in silence for the adults to return, and eventually Emet-Selch appeared with Althaia in tow.</p><p>“The Convocation will be seeking out new elders born on Aeacus to take over the island,” Emet-Selch informed the children, giving them a tired smile. His gaze drifted to Helios, taking in her separated aether. “The Convocation will overlook your actions due to the severity of this situation, but in the future, they ask that you afford the troubled a fair trial—unless doing so would put you or others in harm’s way.</p><p>“Ordinarily, it should have been Azem and myself to attend this matter. You did well in our place, but the others fear this could become a habit of yours if you aren’t careful.”</p><p>“Indeed, you are young! You should be playing and studying! Not…serving as the hand of Death.” Althaia shook off her nausea swiftly. “A visit to Amaurot is in order. Loghrif and Igeyorhm wish to meet with you but must return to the city tonight.”</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded, smiling at the puzzled girl. “They wish to show you how your creations have already begun to brighten Amaurot, dear one. They may ask you to take some tests while there—I do hope you will behave yourself.”</p><p>“Me? Just me?” Helios murmured worriedly.</p><p>Hythlodaeus slung an arm around each of his friend’s shoulders. “Hades and I will be waiting for you at home, fear not!”</p><p>“Hmn…okay…” Helios murmured, filled with uncertainty.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Seventeen</h1><p> </p><p>“Oh, what a precious child! A visitor, most eminent Emet-Selch?” A friendly voice questioned.</p><p>Helios peered around Emet-Selch’s robes, her pale eyes taking in the figure’s plain, hooded black robes and their white mask. She could barely make out their eyes through their mask, which made her promptly tuck herself further behind Emet-Selch.</p><p>“Aeacus’s newest priestess, lest you misunderstand her attire,” Emet-Selch answered, causing the citizen’s lips to part in surprise. “Might you know where we can find Igeyorhm and Loghrif at present?”</p><p>The citizen’s head titled faintly, their gaze shifting to Helios briefly, putting the pieces together. Then, they inclined their head in the direction of one of the nearby streets. “Why, I saw them return to the capitol building not long ago. I imagine they are still there, most eminent Emet-Selch. Will the little miss need an escort to a care center?”</p><p>“No, Helios has an appointment with the Convocation,” Emet-Selch answered swiftly, stunning the citizen. Then, he puffed his chest out with pride and motioned to nearby construction, indicating massive crystalline caps that were being lifted to adorn the towering buildings. “Miss Helios’s magicite and auracite have been a boon for the Convocation and, wishing to repay her contributions to Amaurot, Igeyorhm and Loghrif have decided to assist her with a problem of her own.”</p><p>Helios’s head whipped around at that. “W-wait, you didn’t tell me my creation was deemed <em>that</em> impressive! Shouldn’t they wait, and perhaps let me adjust it more? T-this was just the first iteration!”</p><p>Emet-Selch ruffled the girl’s hair and smiled. “I’ll show you some of the applications while we make our way to the capitol. Further exploration can wait until after your meeting.”</p><p>“I’m sorry, did you say this <em>child</em> created magicite and auracite?” The citizen exclaimed in disbelief. “Surely you mean with assistance? Or—”</p><p>Emet-Selch narrowed his eyes behind his mask, and the citizen took a step back. “High Priestess Helios is quite gifted. Why, I imagine she will attend Akademia Anyder when she comes of age in several decades. Perhaps she may even gain admittance sooner than that. Now, we must attend to our business—<em>good day</em>.”</p><p>Emet-Selch hoisted Helios onto his hip and promptly carried her off, a small smile on his lips when the girl curled her fists in his robes. Once away from the gossips, he slowed and motioned upward to a nearby spire, drawing Helios’s attention to it.</p><p>“It’s not clear,” Helios remarked, studying the opaque crystal. While, at first glance, it looked to be blue, closer observation revealed that it was scattered with all the colors of life. A small frown spread across her lips. “Hmn, it’s been imbued by multiple people?”</p><p>“Very good,” Emet-Selch praised her. “We are experimenting with using magicite and auracite for transmission systems—directing the flow of aether needed to power the city. If all proceeds as expected, we will be able to update and expand our communications network as well.</p><p>“Before, we were using naturally occurring resources to achieve the same effects, but we believe much more can be achieved with your creations.”</p><p>Helios stared up at the towering buildings around her, taking in the crystalline ornamentation on some, and the spires on others. Here and there, she spotted the dimmer glow of natural crystals which were nearly spent.</p><p>“Mn… Hades deserves recognition for convincing me to refrain from throwing the concept away.” Helios looked to Emet-Selch, troubled. “But this isn’t why Igeyorhm and Loghrif want to see me. You’re sure I’m not in trouble?”</p><p>At that, he gave her a bright grin. “Not at all! As I said, we all wish to help you in return for your contribution to Amaurot. And don’t you worry about Hades. Azem stayed behind on Aeacus because he wishes to give your dear friends some assistance as well.”</p><p>“Really?” Helios inquired hopefully.</p><p>He nodded. “Truly. We wish to see you and your friends grow into talented adults and will provide whatever support we can between missions.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Hades rested back against a tree; his gaze dull as it rested on the waters lapping at Aeacus’s shore. Emptiness gripped him, the world dim in Helios’s absence. A stronger reaction than he had anticipated by far. He glanced down at one hand, studying the medallion she’d gifted him. The magicite shone with violet light, imbued with the aether Hades had begun to gradually store within it.</p><p><em>If only there were some trace of her within…</em> Hades swiftly shook the thought from his mind. <em>Absurd. I…I’ve been fine without her for decades. I can handle a few days…o-or weeks…</em></p><p>“I heard you were wont to skip class,” a familiar voice remarked, drawing Hades’s attention to Azem’s approach. “Struggling with the absence of your other half, are you?”</p><p>“I’ve no idea what you mean,” Hades scoffed.</p><p>“Helios, of course. Your powers are in perfect alignment—what else would I call her?” Azem answered with an amused smile.</p><p>Hades eyed him warily. <em>Is he serious or…is he manipulating me?</em></p><p>Azem motioned vaguely with one hand. “I thought I would come see how you’re doing while she’s away. After all…it’s important you are both capable of acting on your own. You work well together, from what I understand and from what I’ve seen. But alone? I have my doubts.”</p><p>Hades scowled, a nerve clearly struck. “Unlike her, I have never had to work alone. Hythlodaeus has seen to that.”</p><p>At that, Azem grinned. “Then why don’t I give you some training while Helios is gone? If you become stronger on your own, your strength together will naturally increase.”</p><p>Hades studied Azem for a moment, uncertain. Finally, he rose to his feet. “Then please, teach me.”</p><p>Azem smiled, studying the suddenly interested boy. “In that case, gather your things. We will be going on a trip beyond Aeacus’s shores, somewhere you can unchain the power of the Underworld without concern.”</p><p>“You would help me master <em>that</em> power?” Hades inquired, taken aback.</p><p>“Among others.” Azem shrugged. “Meet me at the port. We will focus on your ties to the Underworld first, then your powers of life. You intend to act as Helios’s balance do you not?”</p><p>“I never said…” Hades flushed and crossed his arms, glancing away.</p><p>“You didn’t need to. It has been you who reins her in each time she begins to lose control—and, if my compeers find no solution, her control will only dwindle.” Azem crossed his arms within his sleeves. He smiled at the bashful child. “But first, we should focus on you and your struggles. You needn’t worry for Helios—Emet-Selch will take good care of her while they visit Amaurot.”</p><p>Hades studied Azem for a moment. “You wish to make this about <em>me</em> rather than Helios?”</p><p>“For now.” Azem chuckled. “I will not pretend to be unbiased—she is our daughter, to us, unofficially of course. And, as she cares deeply for you, I but hope to contribute to your growth in some fashion.</p><p>“After all, she has already begun trying to convince you that you two will eventually take over our seats, has she not?”</p><p>At that, Hades smiled crookedly. “She is quite convinced that she is to become the next Emet-Selch, and that my power over life makes me suitable for the seat of Azem… But she is wrong, isn’t she? I cannot put my finger on it but…”</p><p>“Perhaps.” Azem smiled mysteriously. “Time will tell but, even if you don’t wish to pursue a seat on the Convocation, I wish to assist you in your training. Such gifts should be encouraged and carefully trained.”</p><p>Hades considered it a moment, then slowly nodded. “I will meet you at Aeacus’s port shortly.”</p><p>“Excellent.” Azem smiled. “I will inform your teachers of our plans.”</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Eighteen</h1><p> </p><p>Helios sat with her eyes closed, practicing breathing exercises Loghrif has taught her. Nearby, both Loghrif and Igeyorhm studied the girl as she coiled her powers over dark and light through the air, creating a scene akin the night sky. Then, monstrous eyes with slit pupils popped open all throughout the darkness, looking wildly about. It wavered, drifting down to coil around Helios unbidden. Black, feathered wings sprouted from her back, her nails lengthening into claws. Horns began to sprout from her temples.</p><p>Loghrif frowned, glancing to Emet-Selch, uncertain of if she should intervene. Alas, the man shook his head and crossed his arms, observing as the child’s skin turned pale grey, her form growing larger and her attire shifting to something more alike to her knight transformation.</p><p>Yet, the armor and mask remained gone, affording the present Convocation members a glimpse of what Helios had called a ‘monster.’ Though her hair remained opalescent and wild, several long, twirling horns swept back from above her temples. Her eyes remained pale blue grey, but her pupils were slits—and she had two sets of eyes rather than the standard one. Two sets of fangs lengthened into sharp points in her mouth, and her facial features shifted into something…foreign. Ethereal, not unlike her normal appearance, yet different enough to cause the spectators pause.</p><p>Her darkness wavered, nearly slipping from her grasp, before drifting lazily around her, joined by pinpricks of light as Helios got to her feet—then levitated slightly off the floor. Wings stretched wide briefly, before furling at her back.</p><p>“Indeed, the Underworld gave you a great gift,” Igeyorhm remarked as she casually approached Helios. She stopped alongside the transformed girl and smile up at her. “You said you have the ability to see threats to the star, yes? Do you see any in Amaurot?”</p><p>Helios glanced down at Igeyorhm, taken aback by the woman’s apparent ease. Then, she chanced a look back at Loghrif, Emet-Selch, and Lahabrea—none appeared repulsed. Emboldened by their acceptance, Helios nodded and looked back to Igeyorhm. “There’s a building full of them…that’s Akademia Anyder, is it not?”</p><p>Igeyorhm followed her motion, then nodded. “Indeed, it is. How do you perceive these threats?”</p><p>“A…spectrum,” Helios murmured, sensing Lahabrea moving over to join the. “Green, yellow, orange, and red. I haven’t been able to take the time and find out what the colors mean.”</p><p>Lahabrea came to a stop beside them. “I will summon one of the specimens here—do not slay it. Simply tell us the color.”</p><p>Helios nodded, watching as Lahabrea worked. When the crystal-imprisoned specimen appeared, Helios pushed back against her darkness, her eyes narrowing and her pupils thinning. “Yellow.”</p><p>Igeyorhm looked to Lahabrea. “This one is a predatory animal, yes?”</p><p>“Indeed. Next.” Lahabrea summoned a larger specimen, then shifted to glance at Helios when he felt her aether tremble. Again, eyes had opened in her darkness, tendrils seeking to reach forward.</p><p>“Red,” Helios took a step back and began her breathing exercises again, forcing herself to calm. Once she was more comfortable, she looked at it again. “That is one of the undead created by my old village?”</p><p>Lahabrea nodded, turning to look at the putrid monster. “More have appeared throughout the world. They can corrupt natural creatures and creations alike. I can’t claim to understand what they sought to accomplish.”</p><p>“Mn, they always spoke of Amaurot as a haven of heretics, and of their desire to ‘cleanse’ it…” Helios frowned. “Contradictory as it sounds, they believed it.”</p><p>Emet-Selch walked forward and patted Helios’s arm. “Once we’ve determined how your danger sight functions, why don’t I take you on a tour of Amaurot? Then, once you’ve had some rest, we can see about testing your other abilities.”</p><p>Helios nodded, unwilling to voice her concerns about Hades. <em>When I get back… I promise I won’t be a burden. I’ll be able to protect you.</em></p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Nineteen</h1><p> </p><p>“Cheer up, my friend, I’m certain Helios will return soon,” Hythlodaeus reassured Hades, a smile on his face. “Emet-Selch or Azem would have let us know if something happened to her.”</p><p>“Then <em>why</em> is the Underworld unsettled so?” Hades muttered, mostly to himself, as he paced the living room. “She has been gone for months without a word, but you think she is fine?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus laughed at that. “<em>You</em> were gone for months as well, lest you forget, and you were not the one whose abilities are unstable. I imagine the Convocation decided to run many tests and, knowing our friend, she won’t return until she is more confident that she will not be a ‘problem.’”</p><p>Hades drifted to a stop, his gaze falling to the floor. Hythlodaeus had a point. Dangerous as Helios’s power had become, she likely viewed herself as a danger to the island, its peoples…and to them. Sighing, he raised his hands in a shrug. “Nevertheless, the Underworld is more than displeased. I wish to investigate but…”</p><p>Hythlodaeus nodded. “But Azem warned you to wait. Then, why don’t we send a request for Helios’ return? Ah…or perhaps that will not be necessary. Look.”</p><p><em>That</em> got Hades’s attention, and he turned to follow his friend’s gaze. Sure enough, a distinct glimmer of blue approaching from the sea. Without a word, Hades threw on a cloak to ward off the rain and swept out the door.</p><p>Amused, Hythlodaeus did the same and followed, easily catching up to his friend. “I’m sure she will be overjoyed to be greeted personally… Or were you going to make this about business instead of her like a fool?”</p><p>Hades flushed, his chest tightening. “I’m sure that, if the threat is serious, she will make it about business before I can.”</p><p>The boys arrived at the port and consulted one of the workers about the incoming ship, learning it would be near an hour before it docked. Thankfully, the boys were permitted to wait inside for their friend. Hades fidgeted with his medallion, heart pounding in his chest.</p><p>She was almost back, almost returned to him. Hades shook his head slightly. <em>No, no, she is not ‘mine.’ She is the Underworld’s, if anything. At best, she is our dear friend. A beautiful monster sent to protect the living from…</em></p><p>His lips pulled into a slight frown it was on the tip of his tongue. What had Helios been sent to protect them from? Why was it just out of reach? It was unlike him to struggle with something so important.</p><p>A shift in the island’s aether drew Hades’s gaze, and his lips parted in surprise upon spotting the robed figure approaching them. The star bent and became vibrant around her, its energies brilliant with color. Yet, her shadow moved independently, as if testing her surroundings for threats. For some absurd reason, a white mask hid the top half of her face.</p><p>Yet, even had he not been possessed of keen soul sight, he would have recognized her anywhere.</p><p>“Helios,” Hythlodaeus greeted her as she approached, a welcoming smile on his face. “You should have let us know you would return soon, my friend.”</p><p>“Hmn, so I was right—my letters didn’t arrive.” Helios slowed to a stop by them and looked from one to the other, Hades’s flushed face not escaping her notice.</p><p>“Letters…? No, we received no such thing.” Hades quickly composed himself. He clenched his fists by his side, struggling against the instinct to embrace his returned friend.</p><p>“Hm hm hm!” Hythlodaeus circled behind Helios, his lips pulling into a mischievous smile. Then, he gave Helios a gentle shove toward Hades, forcing him to catch her. “Hades has been quite worried about you, you know.”</p><p>“<em>Hythlodaeus</em>,” Hades growled at him, but his complaints died in his throat when Helios promptly wrapped her arms around his torso and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Flushing, her rested one arm behind Helios’s back and settled for glaring daggers at Hythlodaeus.</p><p>“Why don’t we head back home so I can replace this horrible attire?” Helios suggested, taking a step back from Hades. She removed her mask, then smiled at their questioning glances. “We didn’t expect my stay to be so long either. I ended up donning the communal robes and masks they wear in Amaurot because I didn’t bring much with me, and priestess attire drew too much attention.”</p><p>“Have they no priestesses in Amaurot?” Hades inquired, before noting the odd way Helios was looking at them. Then, she raised on her tiptoes. “What is it?”</p><p>“…you both have gotten taller.” Helios peered at Hades and took a step closer. “Especially you. It’s only been a few months!”</p><p>“All the better for us to carry you out of trouble. At this rate, I daresay we might be able to carry you on a shoulder bag!” Hythlodaeus teased, coming over to rest a forearm atop Helios’s head.</p><p>“<em>Hey</em>!” She pouted. “I’ll catch up, you’ll see!”</p><p>A quiet laugh escaped Hades, drawing the attention of his friends. Smiling, he motioned toward the nearby doors. “Let’s go home. I’m sure we all have stories to share.”</p><p>Not long after, the trio sat in the living room of their home, a chess board between Hades and Helios, with Hythlodaeus sitting nearby.</p><p>“Amaurot sounds strange,” Hades remarked, watching as Helios made yet <em>another</em> overly aggressive move on the board. “Beautiful, but quite strange. You said the Convocation couldn’t find a way to remove the division in your power?”</p><p>“No, it runs soul-deep, and it’s beyond any of their current member’s ability to address,” Helios answered, her gaze intently tracking Hades fingers as he made his move. “As soul expertise requires a particular combination of abilities, they chose to instead teach me methods of control. We were going to work on my control regarding ‘red’ threats, but a situation arose elsewhere and called both Azem and Emet-Selch away. They requested I be returned to Aeacus to continue my education.”</p><p>“‘Red’ threats? What do mean by that?” Hythlodaeus inquired.</p><p>Hades studied the board intently. <em>She’s been practicing, and her style has changed entirely for it. Who in the world has she been playing matches with?</em></p><p>“Ah! We made progress with my danger sight,” Helios answered with a grin, turning to look at Hythlodaeus. “Green are the lowest threats, and red is the most dangerous. If there’s anything below green or above red, there were no such specimens held at Akademia Anyder.”</p><p><em>Hmm, and she is much more at ease now. More confident.</em> Hades studied Helios’s profile. “And what did you learn of their use of your creations?”</p><p>“O-oh, that? Well, that is a bit embarrassing…” Helios flushed, looking over to him. “It seems I owe you a debt of gratitude, at the very least, for convincing me to <em>not</em> throw them away. The Convocation is, currently, in the process of reworking numerous systems in the city to function off magicite and auracite, as they had reached the limits provided by natural crystals.”</p><p>Hades gave her a crooked smile. “That’s wonderful news, but you don’t owe me anything, Helios.”</p><p>“Don’t I?” she murmured, puzzled.</p><p>“Friends assist friends, it is simple enough.” Hades shrugged, made his move on the board, then sat back in his seat. “You’ve been practicing, I see.”</p><p>“Ah, I discovered Lahabrea has a soft spot for teaching,” Helios answered with a toothy grin. “He saw me trying to play against myself one day during his lunch break, and we ended up making a habit of matches while I was there. He said it was a good way to refresh his mind whenever he found himself stuck on one of his myriad projects.”</p><p><em>Taught be a Convocation member? No wonder.</em> Hades’s brow furrowed as he studied the board, attempting to determine the next best move. <em>The stars align for her…or does she make them, I wonder?</em></p><p>Hythlodaeus peered at his friends, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “I <em>see</em>! Hades has found his intellectual match, has he? Or has Helios managed to fully stump you?”</p><p><em>Match? I think that’s a given…</em> Hades kept the thought to himself and moved his piece. After they exchanged several more moves, Hades reached forward, taking Helios’s king. “A close match indeed… I am going to have to focus more when playing you. Shall we play again?”</p><p>Helios’s lips quirked into a smirk. “I think it’s time you tell me what’s been bothering you since before my return.”</p><p>“…you can see right through me, can’t you?” Hades sighed dramatically.</p><p>Hythlodaeus laughed outright. “Trust me, it isn’t difficult to tell.”</p><p>Hades shrugged and focused on Helios. “The Underworld is uneasy, and I haven’t been able to determine why. Attacks have been scarce, so we thought perhaps this uneasiness is a warning. Alas…”</p><p>“He doesn’t wish to admit it, but your blood is like the key to his full power,” Hythlodaeus added, earning a sharp glare from Hades—which he expertly ignored. “We looked into the records to confirm it. ‘Life’ and ‘Death’ can strengthen their respective powers through the blood of the other. A mere drop is all it takes to ‘change the world,’ was how it was described. It was implied to be a periodic necessity.</p><p>“We questioned Althaia on the matter, and she said the current Azem and Emet-Selch do not conform to the true powers of Life and Death, and so they have never had to do as such.”</p><p>Helios glanced over at the brooding Hades. “And you dislike this method?”</p><p>“I dislike this notion that Death must bleed for Life, and that you would be forced to gain more injuries or scars for this purpose,” Hades muttered with distaste, refraining from voicing his other thoughts. He still remembered the taste of her blood and, every now and then, he would <em>yearn</em> to taste it again. Imagine sinking his teeth into her flesh and letting her life flood his mouth. He shook his head to clear the dark thoughts. “Whatever is wrong, perhaps a trip to the island’s core is in order. I can commune with the Underworld better there, and—”</p><p>“And you must go there to complete your priestly training, yes?” Hythlodaeus finished when Hades cut himself off. He smirked when his friend glowered at him. “Why don’t we take a few days and let Helios settle in before we begin taking such mad trips? Althaia will be quite cross if the three of us skip classes and the like to immediately dive into another mad adventure.”</p><p>“Since when were you the voice of reason?” Helios and Hades asked in unison, before both looking away from each other in embarrassment.</p><p>Hythlodaeus chuckled at them and spread his arms, shrugging, his expression playful. “You wound me! Why, I merely wish to make certain my dear friends are well taken care of!</p><p>“And on that matter, might I suggest we see about lunch? Dinner? Something of that nature.”</p><p>“Hmn? Oh.” Helios blinked at the nearby clock, realizing it was nearing late afternoon. “Linner? Dunch?”</p><p>“Don’t encourage him,” Hades groaned before rising to his feet. “Shall we go out to eat, or make something here…?”</p><p>At that, Helios turned to pout at Hades. “Let’s cook something here! What better way to welcome me home than with a <em>homecooked</em> meal?”</p><p>“Oh? And why is that?” Hythlodaeus inquired, equally as surprised by her statement as Hades was.</p><p>“All they seem to eat in Amaurot is <em>created</em> food. It just wasn’t the same! I haven’t had something made by hand this whole time.” Helios got to her feet and promptly headed for the kitchen, but Hades moved to block her way. “Hmn? Would you rather go out?”</p><p>“Let m—us. Let us cook for you,” Hades answered, swiftly catching himself and hoping neither of his friends noticed. Hythlodaeus, he saw smirk. Helios, thankfully, seemed to be oblivious. “We should welcome you home properly, and <em>that</em> involves letting you rest while we do the work. If you must do <em>something</em>, why not read one of the new books we acquired?”</p><p>Helios blinked at the flushing boy in surprise, then leaned forward with a bright smile. “There’s nothing I’d like more than to cook with you.”</p><p>“E-er…well…” Hades stuttered, his face turning brighter red. <em>She means ‘you’ as in both Hythlodaeus and myself, right? Not simply </em>me<em>. O-of course she does.</em></p><p>“Your wish is our command!” Hythlodaeus laughed, wandering over with his hands in his pockets. “Why don’t we divide the tasks, then? I’ll make our first course, Helios can make the entree, and Hades, you can make dessert.”</p><p>Helios’s face lit up at the prospect, and Hades relented. He couldn’t bring himself to insist she take her ease instead, not when she seemed so delighted. Even if her mood seemed much improved…he didn’t wish to be the reason she went back in her shell.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty</h1><p> </p><p>Helios watched, curious, as Hades practiced a musical instrument which, she was told, was called a ‘violin.’ Though she’d been exposed to music frequently in Amaurot and found it oddly comforting, she’d had no idea it was made with such strange contraptions—or that her school on Aeacus had musical classes.</p><p>Or that Hades took one of them.</p><p><em>Hmmm…there must be a simpler way to create music myself,</em> Helios considered, her eyes tracing the violin’s form intently, before shifting to Hades. <em>Years to master a single instrument? It would take centuries for me to be able to create music as I wish! …but, if I could create something that pulls the music from my mind, or perhaps lets me compose in it… Yes, yes that might work. It would need to be modular, so I can add more instruments and other concepts to it over time. Hmmm…</em></p><p>“What are you scheming now?” Hades inquired, walking over to his smirking friend, startling her from her daze. He arched an eyebrow at her as he began to pack the violin away. “You didn’t have to wait for me, you know.”</p><p>“Oh? But I enjoyed listening to you play—and it, admittedly, gave me some ideas for a new concept.” Helios gave him a reassuring smile. “That would be what I was ‘scheming.’”</p><p>“I see.” Hades returned the violin case to its rightful place, then offered Helios a hand up from her seat. “Shall we? The longer we make Hythlodaeus wait, the worse his teasing will be.”</p><p>Helios laughed and accepted his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. “You’re sure you want to do this today instead of waiting until tomorrow when we have no classes?”</p><p>Hades led her out of the classroom by the hand. “It will take us some time to get to our destination. If we leave tonight, we can make camp, rest, and then get to work fresh in the morning.”</p><p>“That works as well,” Helios agreed as she entwined her fingers with Hades’s, not even fully aware she was doing so. “Maybe we should pick up some extra supplies in the village to be safe? If we find any aggressive wildlife or other monsters, injuries <em>will</em> happen.”</p><p><em>How can she so casually…?</em> Hades glanced down at her, pulse thrumming in his ears. Helios just glanced back up at him with a bright smile, her slit pupils flaring briefly.</p><p>“Hades, Helios,” Hythlodaeus greeted them, waving. “I’ve already packed any supplies we might need for medical emergency, but I imagine you both have more input on what we should bring. Ah! And I checked with the villagers, we should be free of storms.”</p><p>“Food, drink, things to sleep on, hunting or fishing tools in case we need to extend our stay…” Helios murmured, mostly to herself, but both boys looked to her anyway.</p><p>“I’ll handle provisions, and you can see to the rest,” Hades informed her, carefully disentangling his hand from hers, then taking a step back. “I will be back soon.”</p><p>“Hmn?” Helios watched him flee, then looked questioningly to Hythlodaeus. “Did I say something odd?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus’s shoulders shook with laughter. “No! No, I imagine he doesn’t know what to think of you holding his hand is all.”</p><p>At that, Helios’s nose wrinkled in confusion. “What’s wrong with that? I see lots of friends holding hands.”</p><p>“Ah, but most who hold hands are more than mere friends,” Hythlodaeus informed her with a grin. “And so, our dear friend is likely struggling to determine if you’re merely being friendly…or if you are expressing more.”</p><p><em>More?</em> Helios pondered, wracking her mind. Finally, her thoughts turned to Lahabrea and Igeyorhm. At that, she looked to Hythlodaeus again. “More, as in… Whatever is going on between Igeyorhm and Lahabrea?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus grinned and shrugged. “<em>Who knows</em>? Why, most would say the three of us are too young to know what ‘love’ is, or anything about the many types. I wouldn’t fret about it, Helios. He isn’t displeased—merely shy.”</p><p><em>Love? What’s that?</em> Helios frowned faintly. “We have a dictionary in the house, right?”</p><p>“Yes, but that is decidedly <em>not</em> the direction you’re going if you’re gathering supplies for our trip.” Hythlodaeus crossed his arms in his sleeves and smiled. “In simple terms, ‘love’ indicates a deep feeling of affection or fondness for a person. However, there are many types of love, and so I suggest you not throw the word around until you are more familiar with it.”</p><p>“That…sort of helped?” Helios shrugged helplessly. “Fine, fine, I’ll go get our tools.”</p><p><em>Fondness? Affection? Well, that is true, isn’t it?</em> Helios asked herself as she made her way into town. <em>They’re both ‘dear’ to me, as Hyth would say. But…Hades, he… Hmmm.</em></p><p>Helios shook off the thoughts and set about her task, making certain to grab whatever they might need for repairs while she was at it. Then, with some trouble, she found things that might work for their sleeping arrangements.</p><p>By the time she returned to the house, Hythlodaeus and Hades seemed to have finished all their tasks. They sat in front of the house in traveling attire, weapons strapped to their backs. Hades seemed lost in thought, but Hythlodaeus perked up upon spotting Helios’s approach.</p><p>“There you are! We were beginning to wonder if you found trouble.” Hythlodaeus smiled at her. “We are ready to set out when you are.”</p><p>“Trouble of a sort. It took longer than expected to find something for us to sleep on.” Helios shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll go change, then I’ll be ready to go.”</p><p>Mere minutes later, the trio began their hike across Aeacus and to the far side, where the entrance to the island’s core rested. To cut down on time, the trio agreed to travel the beach rather than move through the forest or climb the mountains directly. Though going in a line might seem faster, Helios assured them that the climb would be at least double the time it would take to loop around on the beach—and significantly more dangerous.</p><p><em>…I wouldn’t mind if it took longer,</em> Hades thought, immediately glancing away as he followed behind his chattering friends. <em>No, no, if one of us fell from those rocks… Walking the beach is far safer, even if we are more visible to predators this way.</em></p><p>“Hades, what shall we do if something goes awry with your initiation as a priest, akin to what happened with mine?” Helios inquired, her gaze seeming to pierce right through him. “I can’t take over our combined form…I think. We’ve never tried, but I get the sense that, were our situations mirrored, I wouldn’t be able to calm you as you did for me.”</p><p><em>How very practical…and correct.</em> Hades’s frown deepened. “Yes…I get the feeling you’re correct. Aetherically, we are equals, but there is a clear discrepancy if we measure the Underworld’s gifts on their own.”</p><p>“Hm hm hm… Helios, I’m sure we can always find a way to shock him to his senses,” Hythlodaeus remarked in a singsong tone.</p><p>“<em>Hythlodaeus</em>,” Hades began to warn, and his friend shot him a smug smile.</p><p>“All is fair in keeping you from a rampage!” Hythlodaeus informed him sweetly.</p><p>Helios, having lost interest in the conversation, studied her map and then glanced around at their surroundings. In the nearby forest, animals watched as they made their way to their destination. The ocean waters appeared relatively calm. Yet, something nagged at her senses. An unfamiliar vibration in the aether. Not bad, just…different. She went as far as to peer around the island with her danger sight, finding nothing of concern.</p><p>“What is it?” Hades fell into step with her, having noticed her behavior.</p><p>Helios looked up Hades in surprise. “It’s <em>you</em>. You’re causing the aether to vibrate.”</p><p>Hades arched an eyebrow. “Am i?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus tilted his head, honing his senses, then nodded. “Ah…yes, she’s right. Helios, you must be very aetherically sensitive to have noticed that…but what triggered this shift?”</p><p>“We should be directly above the island’s core at present, and it <em>is</em> said to be an entrance to the Underworld,” Hades offered, hoping to put their minds at ease. “If it is nothing negative, we should continue onward.”</p><p>“Hmn, resonating with the Underworld?” Helios murmured to herself, following them both as they started walking. “Well, I see no major threats on the island or offshore at present, so we’re safe to keep going.”</p><p>Hours later and with only a few scuffles, the trio found the warded entrance that led deep into the island. Upon entering the first chamber, they proceeded to set up their camp and Hythlodaeus set about preparing dinner.</p><p>“You’re certain you’ve no injuries?” Hades stared at Helios pointedly, his arms crossed. “I smell blood.”</p><p><em>He can…? Wonderful.</em> Helios sighed heavily and pulled off her coat. “They’re just scratches, not ‘injuries.’”</p><p>She raised an eyebrow when she noticed just how rapt Hades’s attention on her bloodied arms seemed to be. “If it will make you feel better, we can clean and bandage them.”</p><p>“A-ahem, yes, we should do that.” Hades averted his gaze. “I’ll fetch the supplies.”</p><p><em>…is he getting worse the closer we get to the core?</em> Helios wondered, an amused smile coming to her lips as she stifled a giggle. <em>At any rate, that hungered look suits him. How odd. Perhaps I’m not the only ‘monster’ here after all?</em></p><p>Hades returned and gingerly cleaned Helios wounds, then lightly bandaged them, making certain she still had freedom of movement. With the bleeding stopped and the blood out of sight he felt better, at least.</p><p>“Dinner is ready,” Hythlodaeus called, waving his friends over. “I made tea as well. Shall we discuss tomorrow’s plan?”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “Under normal circumstances, I am meant to travel to the core alone. You and Helios simply may be unable to follow.”</p><p>“Though the records also claim that Life and Death should proceed together,” Hythlodaeus pointed out, knowing full well that Hades was simply trying to prevent Helios’s direct involvement. “You will descend together, and I will wait here for your return.”</p><p>Hades twitched but knew better than to argue. “…very well.”</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-One</h1><p> </p><p>Helios awoke to Hades attempting to sneak off to his trial alone. Voices of the Underworld touched her mind as she quietly sat up. <em>Accompany our lord, he needs you.</em></p><p>With a grimace, Helios summoned her attire and weapon, then dispersed into shadows and rushed down the dark tunnel after Hades. Then, she appeared several feet before him and cut down the first of the ‘trials’—a distinctly undead creature.</p><p>“Helios…” Hades’s voice was but a surprised whisper as he took in the dimly lit girl, and the pinpricks of light floating around her. “You caught me, I see.”</p><p>“As did your guardians <em>in</em> the Underworld.” Helios nodded to him, then looked down at the creature she slew. “And something is clearly wrong. This <em>creature</em> wasn’t revealed by my sight at all.”</p><p>Hades took a few steps toward his friend, lips parting in faint surprise when he felt their aether pulling toward each other, attempting to combine unbidden. A sensation she clearly noticed as well.</p><p>“I think that our transformation can wait,” Helios remarked, motioning at their confines. “And I sense we should keep moving. I’ll lead the way.”</p><p>“But this trial is meant to be mine—” Hades protested as she turned her back to him.</p><p>“Ours,” was her simple response before a web of stars erupted down the long, descending pathway, lighting eons-old paintings and writing. “If there are more of those malformed creatures here, we should destroy them swiftly and completely.”</p><p>Hades nodded, shifting to set the first of the undead alight. “You subdue them, I will burn their taint from the star.”</p><p>Thus, they made their way deep beneath the island, fighting corpse after corpse, and then concepts for which they had no name. The closer they got to the core, the greater their efforts. It wasn’t until they began coming across the Underworld’s own constructs, however, that they truly began to struggle.</p><p>“You can’t command it?” Helios asked, wincing from the shock of blocking the large entity’s attack, her joints creaking with effort.</p><p>“It isn’t <em>working</em>,” Hades snapped.</p><p>Helios swiftly took in their surroundings, then noted a door the entity couldn’t fit through. Without warning, she shoved Hades through it, before turning to deflect another attack from the being. Spinning blades grazed Helios’s shoulder, ribs, and upper arm before lodging in the walls behind her. With some difficulty, she flung herself through the door after Hades, finding him fending off significantly smaller constructs.</p><p>The bloodied girl rushed past Hades, swinging her claymore in an arc, and shattering several of their attackers. Darkness roiled around them as Hades crushed several more with his power. The remaining ones charged to stab Hades in the back, and Helios threw herself between them, a shield of light halting their attack.</p><p>Hades, spotting Helios’s injuries, snarled in anger and swiftly dispatched the remaining beings. Helios’s shield of light vanished as she swayed on her feet. Nearby, the massive construct outside sounded as though it were still looking for a way in.</p><p>“Helios, you’re covered in blood…” Hades walked around her, equal parts concerned…and <em>hungry</em>. The latter, he shook off. “Let me heal—”</p><p>“If you heal me now, we’ll both be too weak to continue.” Helios shook her head hard, then motioned at a nearby relief. “And…read <em>that</em>.”</p><p>“Read…?” Hades followed her attention, finding the stone engraved with an account of ‘the Lord of the Underworld’ and his powers. And, in particular, mentions of blood bonds and blood magic. His lips parted in surprise the further he read. <em>Consuming the blood of your partner in order to take your rightful place? But I-I couldn’t possibly…</em></p><p>“Look, your solution for telepathy is here as well,” Helios laughed in disbelief, leaning heavily on her sword. She shot him a knowing smile. “Feeling torn?”</p><p>“Of course! I couldn’t possibly harm you myself!” Hades exclaimed. “We can find another way. I will not—”</p><p>Helios smiled crookedly and motioned loosely at her blood covered arms, neck, and shoulder. “Perhaps that is precisely why these beings play so rough. Now you don’t <em>have</em> to hurt me yourself.”</p><p>“I…I couldn’t…” Hades faltered, the sweet scent of her blood making his head fuzzy.</p><p>“You know as well as I do that, if we want to get out of here, you’re going to have to accept the Underworld’s full power. It even says as much.” Helios shrugged, then winced as it caused more blood to spill from her shoulder. “I’m giving you permission to do what is necessary, Hades. What you do about this situation is up to you.”</p><p>Torn, Hades glanced at the reliefs again, heart pounding in his throat. After a moment a quiet plea escaped his lips, “Bond with me.”</p><p>Helios flushed at his tone and glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. “Well, w-we <em>did</em> agree it would be useful for us to be able to communicate telepathically. <em>I</em> won’t say no.”</p><p>Steeling himself, he approached her and held out an arm. “You have better control of a blade. Do it.”</p><p>“You want <em>me</em> to…” Helios pulled a knife out of her boot, unsheathing it. “Very well, try not to flinch, that will just make it worse.”</p><p>To his credit, Hades managed to remain perfectly still when Helios slit the underside of his arm open. Then, she turned the blade against one of her own arms without hesitation and created a matching wound.</p><p>“Helios! Can you at least <em>pretend</em> to hesitate?” Hades exclaimed.</p><p>She pointed at the relief with a smug smile. “No. It’s quite clear in its instructions, and we agreed already.”</p><p>Hades bit back a retort and, instead placed his bleeding arm above hers. Their wounds pressed together, Hades swiftly performed the incantation described on the wall, feeling their blood and aether mingle. Then, power reverberated through them, their arms marked with mirror, tattoo-like sigils.</p><p>And, with that done…Hades found himself struggling with the scent of her blood yet again.</p><p>“Hades,” Helios spoke softly, turning to reassure him. “We both know this is necessary and that, even if you decide you…don’t want the confirmation that I hold the other half of the Underworld’s power—”</p><p>“That isn’t the problem at all!” Hades exclaimed, waving a hand to silence her. “I…I worry that I won’t be able to <em>stop</em>.”</p><p>Helios tilted her head at that. “Hmn…then why don’t I meld my power to yours after you’ve taken what you need? I…don’t know that I’ve the strength to walk anyway.”</p><p>“You…” Hades studied her again, realization hitting him. If something wasn’t done, she might bleed to death before his eyes. “If you’re certain then…then I will accept this gift.”</p><p>Helios smiled, pulling him closer, and rested her forehead against his. <em>‘I trust you, Hades. If I didn’t, we would be back in Aeacus working on our homework instead.’</em></p><p>Hades barely heard her, his eyes having gone to the gash in her shoulder, every fiber of his being urging him to devour however much he could. Before he truly knew what he was doing, his mouth covered the wound.</p><p>Helios gritted her teeth against the pain and did as she promised she would—wait for him to take what was needed. Which, judging from the relief, was a worrying amount. But, necessary. His powers needed to be truly awakened, and their bond sealed. For that, she was rather certain she would endure anything.</p><p>When she began to feel lightheaded, she dissolved herself into aether and coiled around Hades’s soul. Darkness <em>exploded</em> throughout the room, tearing through the air like something escaping eons of imprisonment. Hades form shifted to that of his sorcerer guise and he commanded, <em>“Return to your posts, and never attack Helios or myself ever again.”</em></p><p>Helios’s giggle rippled through his mind, shifting his attention to her as she swirled distractingly around his soul.</p><p><em>‘Helios, are you alright? Why didn’t you stop me sooner?’</em> Hades exclaimed worriedly.</p><p><em>‘Well, my dear Hades, read the relief again! I didn’t know concern impacted your reading comprehension~’</em> Helios teased, noting how his pulse seemed to race every time her aether brushed against his soul.</p><p>Begrudgingly, he did as suggested, and then sighed. <em>‘…perhaps further reading is required before we proceed. Will you be alright?’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘I will indeed. Let’s proceed carefully, as I doubt this was the only trial.’</em>
</p><p>That, he certainly agreed with.</p><p>In the coming hours, they completed their descent to the island’s core, finding a glowing sea of aether below a precipice. Upon entering the room, the pair was forcibly separated, and Hades swiftly caught Helios when she stumbled.</p><p>“You’re healed…” Hades remarked in surprise.</p><p>Helios glanced up at Hades’s ‘monstrous’ form and the four golden eyes peering down at her in concern. Though it had been hours, the threads of the Underworld still shone in his eyes since drinking her blood. She smiled. “Shall I wait here, or…?”</p><p>“Stay here,” he answered softly, setting her carefully on the ground. “This trial is meant for me alone.”</p><p>Helios nodded and conjured herself a seat. “Very well, I’ll await you here.”</p><p>With that, Hades walked toward the altar and vanished from sight. Shrugging, Helios summoned a book and settled in to wait.</p><p>And wait she did, until finally Hades reappeared and stumbled toward her, returned to his usual form, and collapsed against her, his energies spent.</p><p>Behind him, an aetheric cerberus padded over, gaze sharp on Helios. <em>“Our lord has passed all his trials. Ferry him to your camp, and swiftly. He needs his rest. Nothing shall attack you on your return.”</em></p><p>With that, the being dissipated, and Helios set about the task of levitating Hades <em>all the way</em> back to their camp above.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Two</h1><p> </p><p>“Should we send word back to Aeacus?” Hythlodaeus murmured, leaning back against the cavern wall. “We’ve been gone a few days…”</p><p>“They know where we went, and I imagine they knew he’d need recovery time,” Helios shrugged, motioning in Hades’s direction with her cup of tea. “I think it will be fine, but too much longer and we risk running into a storm as we attempt to return.”</p><p>Hades sighed heavily. “I am <em>fine</em>. we can begin the journey today, and—”</p><p>“No, we are not moving until you’ve regained your full strength.” Hythlodaeus turned to glower at his friend. “Should we encounter monsters on our return, we will need you at your best. Besides, you are still determining what has the Underworld displeased, are you not?”</p><p>“…the Underworld was displeased with <em>us</em>,” Hades answered hotly, motioning between himself and Helios. “It was upset that we hadn’t formed a bond yet as required by those with power such as ours.”</p><p>“A bond, you say? That makes sense with the changes to your aether…” Hythlodaeus murmured, nodding. “But, what now? Surely the Underworld requires more of you.”</p><p>Hades’s frowned, sinking into thought, and Helios shrugged in answer.</p><p>Hythlodaeus sighed at them. “Then that is more reason for us to remain, is it not? We can investigate without interference—which, I imagine, would be a blessing. Given this power of yours requires blood…”</p><p>“I see…” Hades murmured to himself, drawing his companion’s attention. “The undead we slew—they were intruders from Helios’s old island. Whatever those people were up to, the sent their vile creations to each of the ‘points’ in the Crown of the Underworld.”</p><p>At that, Helios made a sour face. “Meaning, we need to contact Azem and Emet-Selch, as we have no way to reach those islands ourselves.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus stroked his chin. “I doubt that is the reason for the disturbance. The Underworld didn’t pull at either of you regarding any of the other intrusions.”</p><p>Helios shrugged. “If there’s more, I can’t see it… Which, I couldn’t see the threats on our way to the core either.”</p><p>“Hythlodaeus is right… Something remains amiss. Subtle, lurking, an itch at the back of my mind.” Hades frowned deeper, casting his aether out in search of the source. Finding nothing unusual, he shook his head. “I sense nothing, but it is certainly there.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus pondered in silence a few moments, then smirked. “<em>Well</em>, perhaps the Underworld was displeased with your lack of a bond because that bond is necessary for detecting this threat? After all, we are decades away from when you two should have become a priest and priestess. To be maneuvered into this arrangement now, the matter must be pressing, yes? Why don’t you see if you can combine Helios’s danger sight with this gift of yours, Hades?</p><p>“But Helios is still recovering…” Hades’s expression softened with his concern, and he glanced worriedly to her. “You lost so much during out fights with the constructs. It isn’t safe for you to cooperate in such a manner.”</p><p>“Why not see where a pinprick of blood gets you?” Hythlodaeus suggested oh-so-helpfully. “A prick of the finger won’t do Helios any harm, and it may well be sufficient to awaken your power.”</p><p>“It’s worth a shot,” Helios pointed out before Hades could voice his refusal. “I think we should try. The Underworld is trying to warn you of something it can’t even convey to its guardians, right? Otherwise, wouldn’t they have told one or both of us what was amiss?”</p><p><em>Of all the times for her to suddenly bring rationale to the table…</em> Hades sighed softly and placed his tea aside before standing. He moved closer to his friends, resolved. “Very well. We will do this your way—but no more than a pinprick. I cannot conscience more.”</p><p>“Honestly, it is a rather inefficient method,” Hythlodaeus remarked, watching as Helios conjured and sterilized a pin. “This must be incredibly ancient magic. Perhaps we can find a method to retool it for modern times? After all, it is ill-advised for Helios to remove pieced of armor in the middle of a fight, that you may empower yourself.”</p><p>Helios pricked her finger and then held it up for Hades, but he swiftly caught her by the wrist before she could bring it to his lips. Instead, he caught the blood on one of his fingers and turned his back to both his friends, flushing to his ears.</p><p><em>Inefficient? That is but the beginning of its problems…</em> Hades grimaced to himself, then tentatively pressed his tongue to the droplet of blood. “…Well, perhaps Hythlodaeus isn’t the dispenser of nonsense after all.”</p><p>“I have my moments,” Hythlodaeus chuckled at his bashful friend. “All that’s left is to put your combined power to the proof, is it not?”</p><p>Hades braced himself, then reached a hand out to Helios, his gaze averted. “If you would be so kind…”</p><p>A cheerful giggle, and the girl burst into aether, swirling up Hades’s arm and into his chest as he channeled their powers, shaping their form and focusing solely on its abilities. After a moment, Hades reached out to Helios, <em>‘You will have to assist me, I’m uncertain how to tap into your abilities.’</em></p><p><em>‘Here,’</em> Helios answered, drawing him into the dark maelstrom that was her mind. Dots of prismatic light burst into life in her mind’s corridors, leading him to ‘door’ which, when opened, he realized was her danger sight.</p><p><em>Then, layer it with my own power as Hythlodaeus suggested, and…</em> Their breath left their lungs, their combined form going stock still as they attempted to comprehend that which they saw.</p><p>A blanket of red, writhing mass, encroaching on Aeacus from all sides. The pall of twisted, tortured souls, and the sickly green ties that extended from them…to Helios. An ancient, forbidden magic to hunt and execute a foe. To see them die in horrific pain, that they would be unable to return to the Underworld, cursed to drift until found by Azem and Emet-Selch.</p><p>Cold fury gripped Hades as he pulled himself away from their fusion. “We are returning to Aeacus now.”</p><p>“…the Convocation must be told,” Helios added quietly, guilt gripping her chest.</p><p>Hythlodaeus looked between them, a frown forming on his face. “What is it?”</p><p>“It’s my fault they’re…” Helios fell silent and shook her head hard, then began hurriedly helping to pack their things.</p><p>Hades sighed softly. “It is not <em>your</em> fault, it is theirs. They for practicing such twisted arts and focusing them on a <em>child.</em> We will need experts from Amaurot to break these chains, and to help drive off this force.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus narrowed his eyes. “Hunting? Fill me in whilst we make our return.”</p><p>Hades nodded his agreement, then turned to pack his things.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“I need to speak with Azem and Emet-Selch. Now.” Helios stalked toward a desk in town hall, her firm tone startling the individual working there.</p><p>“Ah, Miss Helios, one moment and I will patch you through in room 5B.”</p><p>Helios murmured her thanks and moved to the assigned room, picking up the received when it flashed green.</p><p><em>“Helios, my dear!”</em> Azem greeted her cheerfully.</p><p>“I’m sorry, this isn’t a pleasure call—Aeacus needs help and…and an evacuation,” Helios spoke quietly, doing her best to keep her voice level. “Cutting the spell binding me to the mountain wasn’t enough, we have a new threat, and it will get here in hours. Hades, Hythlodaeus, and I won’t be able to halt it.”</p><p><em>“…what…? Emet-Selch…go call the Convocation to an emergency meeting!”</em> Azem barked. <em>“Helios, stay with me—you will need to explain to us and the Convocation what is going on.”</em></p><p>“Mhm.” Helios nodded to herself and perched on a chair, fidgeting nervously with her hair. “I’ll explain everything. Hades and Hythlodaeus are preparing the villagers as we speak.”</p><p>Once given the go ahead, Helios swiftly explained the situation to the Convocation, impressing upon them the sheer scale of the problem, and likening it to an invasion. An undead army. And how it was her they were focused upon.</p><p><em>“Azem, Emet-Selch—Flow to Aeacus and fetch Helios, see if moving her elsewhere will draw the creatures away,”</em> Lahabrea ordered once the girl was finished telling her tale. <em>“Loghrif, Mitron, you two will join Deudalaphon and Fandaniel in Aeacus to protect its peoples while waiting for ships to arrive.”</em></p><p>“Take me away…? But—” Helios started.</p><p><em>“A temporary measure, dear one,”</em> Emet-Selch swiftly reassured her. <em>“You will not be separated from Hades and Hythlodaeus overlong.”</em></p><p>“…very well, I will get my things.” Helios grimaced, then left the town hall and rushed back home.</p><p>“Helios?” Hades questioned. Startled, Helios turned to see Hades in the door, a frown set firmly upon his lips. “Your things… Why are you packing them?”</p><p>“The Convocation decided to relocate me temporarily to see if they can cause the undead to change course,” Helios answered bitterly, returning to her task. “They’re sending four of their number to protect Aeacus until evacuation ships arrive, but Azem and Emet-Selch are coming shortly to fetch me.”</p><p>“They…” Hades trailed off, suddenly moving across the room and pulling Helios tight into a hug. “Don’t go.”</p><p>“Wh-what? But it’s best for everyone—including you—if I help draw the damned pests away!” Helios exclaimed, shifting to turn and look at Hades, but he simply grasped her harder and buried his face in her shoulder. “Hades… Hades, please, we both know the Convocation is right. I won’t be gone long! Just enough to make certain Aeacus is safe!”</p><p>“No.” Hades dug his fingers into her back.</p><p>Hearing movement, Helios looked to the door and found Hythlodaeus studying them, his expression contemplative. Behind him, stood Azem and Emet-Selch.</p><p>“Hades and Hythlodaeus, you are being evacuated to Amaurot with the rest of the children. We will bring Helios along as soon as we have confirmation the undead are leaving Aeacus.” Azem narrowed his eyes at the pair. “If you cling to Helios here, the people of this island—including yourselves—may die.”</p><p>“I am not <em>clinging</em>!” Hades snapped, turning to glower at Azem. Immediately, Emet-Selch blurred forward and snatched Helios, pulling her away from the furious boy and toward the door. “Helios!”</p><p>Startled, Helios extended her hand in response to Hades reaching out for her, but then the world blurred and spun. When everything stopped, she stumbled and fell back on her butt in the sand. “Where…?”</p><p>Emet-Selch sighed and yanked down his hood, dismissing his mask, and rubbed his temples lightly. “An island near enough to Aeacus that the undead should sense and follow you. Bah, using Flow on two people is <em>exhausting</em>.”</p><p>Helios pulled herself to her feet and patted the sand off, her lips pulling into a frown. “And how are we going to track the undead and their movements without Hades and I combining our abilities?”</p><p>A portal opened beside them, and Azem stepped out with Helios’s pack in hand. “Altima is scrying to observe the horde while Aeacus is evacuated. She will tell us of its movements. For now, this island has some few defensible locations. We will head there.”</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Three</h1><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” Hades stared at the Convocation’s messenger in disbelief. “<em>Quarantine</em>? The foul creatures aren’t <em>leaving</em> Aeacus? But what of our education there? Our culture? And what of Helios? If the creatures are no longer following her, why has she not yet returned?”</p><p>The messenger held up their hands placatingly. “The entirety of the horde has gathered on Aeacus, and we have yet to find a permanent solution to them. Several specimens are being studied at Akadaemia Anyder.</p><p>“Until such time as Aeacus become habitable again, you will be living with your parents here in Amaurot, Hythlodaeus will be living with Miss Althaia, and Helios has been taken in by the esteemed Azem and Emet-Selch. Azem did not state when they would be returning to Amaurot, as they detected a threat to the star and have brought Helios with them on their investigation.”</p><p>Hades clenched his fists at his sides, his heart aching. “Is there no way for us to contact Helios while she’s away? I…”</p><p>“You will have no need to contact that monstrous child,” a deep male voice stated, causing Hades to turn and glower at his father. “I’ve heard of her influence on you. With her gone, you can be raised as a true heir. Why, I have even found several potential brides—”</p><p>The Convocation messenger stepped around Hades, putting themselves between him and his father. “That was not the agreement. If you will not abide by the Convocation’s terms, then I will be taking Hades to the capitol and discussing with him and the Convocation what <em>he</em> wishes to do. If you will excuse us.”</p><p>Cronus snarled. “How dare—”</p><p>“I will not hesitate to call upon the Telophoroi of you seek to turn this into a conflict.” The messenger narrowed their eyes behind their mask. “<em>Good day</em>.”</p><p>With that, the messenger led the fuming boy to the capitol and away from his overbearing father.</p><p>Hades tried for the countless time to reach out to Helios with their newfound telepathic ability and was met with silence. Alone, in a new city and without his other half, he cursed the creatures responsible for their separation.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Four</h1><p> </p><p>It was months before he saw her again.</p><p>A shimmer of familiar blue rounding the corner, heading away from the docks. Pearlescent hair spilling from inside her hood. It was her, undeniably. Hades’s words died in his throat, forgetting his discussion with Hythlodaeus and the several children with them. Hythlodaeus followed his friend’s gaze and smiled brightly.</p><p>“Helios!” Hythlodaeus called to their friend, waving excitedly. “It is good to see you again, my friend! We were worried about you!”</p><p>“Worried?” Helios inquired as she strolled over, taking in her friends first, then glancing to the children she was unfamiliar with. <em>‘Who are these intruders?’</em></p><p><em>‘Hythlodaeus has a penchant for trying to make friends with everyone,’</em> Hades answered bitterly, before glancing away in embarrassment. <em>‘I— Th-that is </em>we<em> missed you.’</em></p><p>“We’ve heard nothing from you for months!” Hythlodaeus answered pointedly, before motioning to the bench. “Sit with us, tell us of your travels.”</p><p>“I think not.” Helios smiled slightly and shook her head. “I have specimens to deliver, then I must be going again. Azem and Emet-Selch have decided I require specialized training abroad. But…” Helios shifted to look at Hades questioningly. “…you didn’t receive any of my letters?”</p><p>“Letters? No.” Hades shook his head, heart jumping into his throat. So, she hadn’t abandoned him. Then, who—or what—was interfering <em>now</em>? “I’ll join you on your way to and from the Akadaemia.”</p><p>With that, Hades slid off the bench and approached Helios, his world brightening and his heart soaring as he drew closer. This was right. As it was meant to be. The separation, unnatural.</p><p>“I will remain here and cover for Hades with our teachers,” Hythlodaeus chuckled at his friends. “Go on.”</p><p>Helios gave Hades a welcoming smile. “I would be glad of the company. Ah, and I have something to give you as well. Shall we?”</p><p>Hades fell into step with Helios, watching as she conjured something in her hands whilst they walked—a case of crystalline recordings that he recognized, as it wasn’t overly dissimilar to the ones used in Amaurot. When she finished her work, she offered Hades the case.</p><p>“And what do these contain?” Hades inquired.</p><p>“Well, I’ve taken up a new hobby, you see…” Helios answered, clearly quite embarrassed. “You may recall that I was planning to create a concept that would permit me to create music without needing to learn instruments? I finished the prototype while Azem was recovering from wounds sustained in battle. And… Well, I found creating music is more calming and helpful than writing in my journal.”</p><p>Hades stared at her a moment before his lips quirked into an amused smile. “And you wish for me to have these?”</p><p>“I think they may convey what’s been going on the past few months better than I can,” Helios answered with a shrug. “I will have to see what has caused the letters to go missing…”</p><p>“…and, you have to leave again? For how long?” Hades asked quietly.</p><p>“A few years, with intermittent stops in Amaurot,” Helios admitted, her lips pulling into a frown. “They want my initial training completed before our next phase of education. Then, after, they will give me more instruction before I apply to study at the Akadaemia.”</p><p>“Years? But…” Hades clutched his chest.</p><p>Helios beamed at him. “I’ll be back and stronger than ever, I promise. I’m working on a concept that will let me call upon you, too! So, don’t worry.”</p><p>“But how are you doing?” Hades inquired finally, his gaze piercing right through her.</p><p>“Um…fine? I’ve learned a lot about combat and controlling myself. They’ve been helping me master both light and dark techniques too.” Helios shrugged.</p><p>Hades sighed. “That isn’t what I mean. Isn’t their work…frightening?”</p><p>Helios tilted her head. “No? Where did you hear it was?”</p><p>“City gossip.” Hades motioned loosely at their surroundings. “…granted, they fear the power of the Underworld as well. That may be all it is.”</p><p>Helios turned to look up at him. “Then I should be asking if <em>you</em> are okay!”</p><p>“I will be…better, now that I know you are alright.” Hades smiled and lifted a hand, brushing Helios’s hair out of her eyes. “I will be better still if we work out a method to remain in contact. Hearing nothing these last few months was…troubling.”</p><p>Helios nodded swiftly. “I’m sure they’ll help investigate what went wrong. They had no intention of keeping us so separated.”</p><p>Hades nodded. “Then, tell me of your travels. I want to know everything.”</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Five</h1><p> </p><p>
  <em>Years later…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>An adult Hades scowled at Hythlodaeus, who had taken to holding a tome above their heads and out of Hades’s reach.</p><p>“<em>Why</em> did I ever agree to share a dorm with you?” Hades snapped.</p><p>“I imagine it would be because you cannot dorm with our dear friend whensoever she returns,” Hythlodaeus answered with a challenging smile. “Hm hm hm, you can’t even bring yourself to look for the presence of her soul, can you?”</p><p>Hades’s scowl deepened. “<em>I</em>, unlike you, have moved on. Decades with scarcely any contact—”</p><p>“My, my, surely you aren’t holding the Convocation’s decision against <em>Helios</em>…<strong>are you</strong>?” Hythlodaeus’s lips pulled into a murderous smile, his voice threatening.</p><p>“Of course not, but—”</p><p>Hythlodaeus thwapped Hades hard in the chest with the tome and headed for the door. “Then I suggest you welcome our dear friend back with open arms when she arrives, lest you shatter her heart. I imagine you aren’t the only one lost without the other.”</p><p>Hades grimaced before packing away his tome and hurrying after Hythlodaeus. “And you truly believe they won’t continue to keep her away?”</p><p>“Indeed.” Was all the response he got.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Helios grimaced at the towering bookshelves before her, skimming the titles for one particular tome in question. Emet-Selch had said he would need it for the day’s class, yet it was not where it should be. While she searched, she listened as students filed into the lecture hall and took their seats for their first class of the day.</p><p>“I’ll be taking roll call while my assistant searches for today’s material,” Emet-Selch announced, causing Helios to make a face at the shelf.</p><p>Name after uninteresting name, until one made Helios go stock still.</p><p>“Hades?”</p><p>An <em>impressively</em> bored, barely familiar voice answered, “<em>Here</em>.”</p><p>Helios’s painted lips parted as she quickly filed and sorted that voice in her mind. Hades’s voice had become much, much deeper. Shockingly so. It was almost as if he growled his words.</p><p>“Hythlodaeus?” Emet-Selch called next, and at that, Helios’s eye began to twitch.</p><p>He was doing this on purpose.</p><p>“Here~! And I must say it is wonderful to see you again, most eminent Emet-Selch,” Hythlodaeus answered playfully.</p><p><em>Oh wonderful. He knows.</em> Helios bit back a sigh, tracing her fingers down the shelf, and finally finding the tome she was looking for. How unfortunate.</p><p>“Well?” Emet-Selch prompted, his tone full of mirth.</p><p><em>I should skin you and rebind these books with your tanned hide.</em> Helios held back the comment as she pulled the tome off the shelf and gracefully pivoted to approach the podium. “Your students should learn to place things back where they belong. It would be advisable for their longevity, most <em>eminent</em> Emet-Selch.”</p><p>Emet-Selch grinned at his tetchy daughter. “Excellent advice. Why, perhaps all my students should serve detention until the culprits have been found. Now then, if you wouldn’t mind, <em>Helios</em>, might you run along to the Words of Lahabrea and fetch me a dodo specimen?”</p><p>Helios heaved a sigh and crossed her arms, feeling rather two distinct pairs of eyes on her. “…dead or alive?”</p><p>“Alive, if you would be so kind.” Emet-Selch smiled. “Today we will be discussing <em>life</em> and its connection to the Underworld, after all.”</p><p>“Very well,” Helios answered turning to head for the doors.</p><p>“Ah wait, and one more thing,” Emet-Selch called in a sing-song tone, and Helios knew immediately she was in trouble. “First, create and distribute blank auracite for each of my students, would you? Your newest iteration.”</p><p><em>I take it back. Using his hide for books would be an insult to the written word.</em> Helios curled a hand into a fist, then concentrated on the creation of auracite. Fifty-three complete auracite crystals appeared, settling into a box near to the shelves. That done, Helios hefted the box in her arms and begrudgingly went from student to student, passing out auracite.</p><p>Upon reaching her old friends, Hades whispered, “Helios—”</p><p>“Not now.” Helios summoned a second auracite, one she had kept with her for quite some time, passing it to Hades alongside a blank one.</p><p>“Courtyard at lunch?” Hythlodaeus suggested quietly as Helios passed him an auracite next.</p><p>“Can’t, work,” Helios answered with a grimace. “…Achora Heights at eight.”</p><p>With that, Helios returned to her task and then swiftly headed to the Words of Lahabrea upon completion, her heart racing. They remembered her, and they didn’t seem angry.</p><p>Perhaps there was hope after all.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Six</h1><p> </p><p>Hades brooded in the shadow of a building, watching the other students mill about the courtyard. In his hand rested the auracite Helios had passed him—a chronological report of her travails for the past several decades. To and fro, assisting those in need and slaying monstrosities alongside Azem and Emet-Selch.</p><p>Yet, any modicum of emotional detail or personality was missing. ‘Sterile’ felt like an understatement. The only thing that came close to a flicker of emotion in her reports was her idle questioning of why she hadn’t heard back from her friends at all. Hades gritted his teeth and closed his hands around the crystal.</p><p>“Hm hm hm! Troubling, is it not?” Hythlodaeus remarked, a mischievous smile on his face. Then, his gaze slid toward a nearby archway. “They’re keeping her busy…”</p><p>Hades followed his friend’s gaze, and before he knew it, he had pocketed the auracite and stormed off in the direction of the brief flash of wild, pearlescent hair. Upon losing sight of her, he shifted to his soul sight and soon caught up to her, finding her in one of the school’s libraries.</p><p>“Helios.” Hades stopped a few feet away from her, watching as she struggled to return a book several shelves above her head.</p><p>She shifted her head slightly to peer at him, her lips parting in mild surprise. “…a moment, if you will.”</p><p>Unable to watch the ridiculous display, Hades snatched the book out of her hand and placed it for her.</p><p>Helios pursed her lips and settled back down on the flats of her feet, then looked to Hades. “You’ve gotten taller.”</p><p>“And you have become more stubborn,” Hades retorted with a sigh. “What in the heavens are you <em>doing</em>?”</p><p>“Most of my instructors are gone for another few weeks, so I’m playing assistant to Emet-Selch,” Helios answered with a roll of her eyes, moving to find the next shelf she needed.</p><p>Hades swiftly followed, his anger mounting. “When did you return?”</p><p>“This morning,” Helios answered, sliding another book into place. “I take it from your countenance that none of my correspondence made it to you?”</p><p>Hades bristled, a scowl settling on his face, his shadow briefly wavering. “<em>No</em>.”</p><p>“I feared as much.” Helios nodded, carrying the remaining tomes deeper still into the library, confident now that Hades would follow. “I imagine Emet-Selch will wish to have words with the one responsible—assuming it is your father yet again.”</p><p>Hades’s eyes narrowed. “Cronus was behind the first incident?”</p><p>“Hah! They didn’t tell you?” Helios turned to give him an apologetic smile. “Something about not letting you be corrupted by ‘that dangerous monster’s powers,’ yes. He had agreed to follow the Convocation’s demands, but I must assume he lied. I imagine they will want to investigate.”</p><p>“When were you going to tell us that you were returned?” Hades asked, and at that, Helios averted her gaze, her expression becoming saddened.</p><p>“…until I saw you this morning, I was rather convinced that my return was unwanted,” Helios answered after a moment. She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, then she sighed dramatically and turned to offer Hades a rather tattered piece of paper. “I was rather certain this didn’t match your handwriting, but… Well, read it.”</p><p>Hades accepted the singed and crumpled piece of paper and read it. A burst of darkness erupted around him shortly after. “I did <em>not</em> write this, and whomever is responsible is undeserving of their place in Amaurot. How foul!”</p><p>A small smile touched Helios’s lips at that. “I have to get going, lest I be late for my next task. Will you be meeting me at Achora Heights this evening?”</p><p>“Achora Heights… Certainly, but—” Hades started, mildly baffled why <em>there</em> of all places.</p><p>A brilliant grin spread across Helios’s face as she pounced, giving Hades a warm hug. “Excellent! I’ll see you then!”</p><p><em>What in the…</em> Hades stared after her in disbelief, watching her practically prance around the corner.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“You needn’t look so displeased, my friend,” Hythlodaeus remarked as he and Hades approached the lift that served as entry to Achora Heights. “Why, you may give our dearest friend the wrong impression!”</p><p>“Hades, Hythlodaeus!” Helios waved, pushing away from the building’s facade. Then, she motioned to the lift. “Come with me.”</p><p>Hades frowned. “To Achora Heights? But that’s—”</p><p>[Welcome back, Miss Helios. Will you ne registering guests today?] The lift questioned upon their approach.</p><p>“Yes, register Hades and Hythlodaeus as my guests, and take us to my floor” Helios answered promptly. The doors shuddered open, and Helios stepped in, beckoning her friends. “My apartment is on the top floor. Shall we?”</p><p>The men exchanged a glance before following Helios into the lift.</p><p>“…you are not staying at the Akadaemia’s dormitory?” Hades asked.</p><p>“No, I don’t get along with most people our age,” Helios answered with a small smirk. “Rather than risk me choking someone with their own robes, Azem and Emet-Selch decided it was best I have my own place.”</p><p>With that, Helios stepped off the lifted and headed for a nearby building. Within, she led her guests into a smaller elevator, down a hallway, and to her apartment. Within, they discovered a sleek abode with only a few personal items littered about. From the kitchen wafted a smell that made their mouths water.</p><p>“I’m going to go change out of these blasted robes—feel free to hang your robes and masks in the foyer, if you like,” Helios commented, swiftly disappearing deeper into the apartment.</p><p>Hythlodaeus promptly did as suggested, but Hades hesitated a moment. With some nudging, he finally relented, then strode into the apartment’s main room, taking in the view from a wall of windows.</p><p>“That’s better! Honestly! I understand <em>why</em> they believe a dress code is best, but it is so <em>stifling</em> at times!” Helios exclaimed, walking out of her room in a pair of form-fitting trousers and an asymmetrical shirt. She smiled at her surprised guests. “I made enough food for you to join me for dinner if you like. Do either of you drink?”</p><p>“We certainly do,” Hythlodaeus remarked with a laugh, following Helios to the open kitchen, and sitting at the bar.</p><p><em>She’s…</em> Hades shook his head to will the observations regarding Helios’s physique away. Sculpted. That word would suffice. “Hythlodaeus will drink <em>anything</em>. I prefer wine if you’d be so kind.”</p><p>“<em>I</em> will take whatever the chef suggests,” Hythlodaeus countered.</p><p>Helios chuckled at them, opening a cabinet. “I’ll indulge you with my favorite wine, then. It’s made on this quaint island that grows specialty grapes—they’re quite phenomenal on their own, and their wine-making process is fascinating.”</p><p>Helios pulled two bottles out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter in front of her guests, then fetched three glasses as well. With some difficulty, she managed to keep from staring at her guests overlong. They certainly had both grown into fine adults. Hythlodaeus wore his long, pale pink hair down and loose, while Hades’s had his hair pulled back in a ponytail. <em>Hmmm… I imagine my appearance is just as shocking, so I’ll refrain from commenting.</em></p><p>“How did you fare with your training?” Hythlodaeus inquired when it seemed as though the silence might drag on.</p><p>“Well enough. I seem to focus better with hands-on experience and instruction. It was difficult for me to absorb written or spoken lessons,” Helios answered as she poured them each a glass of wine. “I think Azem will be thankful to be back down to <em>one</em> troublemaker, however.”</p><p>“And you said your professors aren’t presently in Amaurot?” Hades questioned.</p><p>“Indeed. They’re currently overseeing a land to the north that has been experiencing unusual storms, making the wildlife dangerous,” Helios answered as she turned away to see about plating their food. “Once the threats have been handled, they’ll return, and I can begin my classes. Unfortunately.”</p><p>“And your studies <em>are</em>?” Hades prompted.</p><p>At that Helios shrugged. “Well, there are few fields I truly mesh with. As such, I will be studying what is necessary to join the ranks of the Telophoroi. That will require basic instruction in <em>every</em> field, and more specialized training later—all of which I will be taught from professors who are also members of the Telophoroi.”</p><p>“Still seeking out danger at every turn?” Hythlodaeus chuckled, while Hades just looked away in discomfort.</p><p>Helios shot them a small smile, though her gaze lingered briefly on Hades, taking in his long, wavey hair and the black turtleneck he wore. She tore her gaze away from him and refocused on her task, reminding herself, <em>No, no, you can’t be looking at the Lord of the Underworld like that. It will get in the way of your duty.</em></p><p>“Here you are,” Helios announced, setting a plate in front of each of them. “I think I’ve become quite good at the culinary arts during my travels, so I hope you enjoy it.”</p><p>“You needn’t be so formal,” Hades informed her after a moment.</p><p>“Indeed! You have ever been our friend, and we have eagerly awaited your return,” Hythlodaeus added cheerfully. “We are overjoyed to see you are well.”</p><p>Helios tilted her head. “And you said <em>I</em> was speaking formally?”</p><p>Hades’s lips quirked into a smirk at that. “You have a point. Perhaps I have simply grown accustomed to Hythlodaeus’s <em>unusual</em> demeanor.”</p><p>Helios shook her head and perched on the remaining bar seat, to Hythlodaeus’s right. “What are the two of you studying, then? I would know what I’ve missed while away.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>“There you are!” Helios suddenly flung her arms around Hades’s neck and shoulders, squeezing him back against her breasts. “How did you manage to get yourself into detention, Hades?”</p><p><em>What is she…</em> Hades flushed and snapped, “Can you let go of me?!”</p><p>“Hmn? Too rough?” Helios trailed a hand along his shoulders as she walked around his side, then took a seat across from him. “How long? I was hoping to show you something.”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “Until four. Then, I have a prior engagement. I chose theatre for my mandatory arts course, and we have rehearsal this evening.”</p><p>Helios sighed and propped her head in her hand. “I see, I see. When <em>are</em> you free?”</p><p>Hades conjured a memo book and flipped through the first several pages. “Not until the end of the first semester.”</p><p>“You <em>can’t</em> be serious!” Helios exclaimed.</p><p>Hades gave her a small smile. “I believe I once told you that I’d never lie to you.”</p><p>“You did.” Helios sighed, sulking in her seat. “I suppose I could have the concepts sent to your dorm. I’ve got to get back to work.”</p><p>Helios hauled herself to her feet and headed for the door.</p><p>Hades struggled with himself a moment, before reaching out, <em>‘Helios?’</em></p><p>He heard her drift to a halt.</p><p><em>‘What is it?’</em> The soft reply brimmed with so much power that Hades’s heart leapt into his throat. Was that a glimpse at the change wrought by her time away?</p><p><em>‘I was uncertain if our bond had frayed,’</em> Hades admitted, a small smile touching his lips when he heard her stifle a giggle and begin walking once more. <em>‘Have you any objections to communicating in this manner, separated as our schedules intend to keep us?’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘Not a one. Contact me whenever you like—I imagine, so long as we’re both in the city, we can speak like this.’</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Seven</h1><p> </p><p>“Really, you weren’t jesting when you said this class is dangerous,” Helios remarked from where she had settled in to watch the chaos. In the center of the hall, a rogue phantom chased its creator, nipping at his heels. After a moment, Helios looked to the agitated Lahabrea. “Though, I daresay that calling on the Telophoroi’s assistance is a bit much for this. Especially since you asked me <em>not</em> to do anything yet.”</p><p>“I will have to discuss your manners with Azem and Emet-Selch the next time we speak,” Lahabrea muttered, ignoring the smirk that settled on Helios’s face. “Shouldn’t you be in class, Helios?”</p><p>“My duty as a recruit to the Telophoroi <em>is</em> my class today,” Helios answered, her smirk broadening into a fang-filled grin. “You must have quite the sadistic streak, letting your student run around in humiliation like that. I mean <em>really</em>, chased by a phantom mouse? His pride may never recover.”</p><p>Lahabrea snorted. “You are enjoying this far more than I.”</p><p>“It’s more proof that Amaurotines have forgotten how to deal with the natural world,” Helios answered slyly, causing the Convocation member to cut his eyes to the side at her in warning. “I’m not saying to throw them into hunting. I’m saying the citizenry needs to be better prepared for the unexpected.”</p><p>“I will give your counsel due consideration.” Lahabrea let out a tired sigh. “Capture the pest—<em>alive</em>—will you? His yelling is giving me a headache.”</p><p>“Hah! Certainly.” Helios warped down the stairs and stretched out a hand, encasing the small creature in a gaol of light.</p><p><em>‘Pushing your luck with a Convocation member? </em>Really<em>, Helios, how bold have you become?’</em> Hades chastised.</p><p><em>‘My! A compliment from the unshakable Hades! I’m honored,’</em> Helios quipped as she strode past him. “Where would you like this, Lahabrea?”</p><p>“Hold it there.” Lahabrea made a motion with one hand, summoning a concept crystal an entrapping the phantom in it. “Leave it with my assistant. I will study it later. You are dismiss— Or perhaps not.”</p><p>Feeling the aether vibrating, Helios placed the concept crystal on a shelf by the hall’s doors and turned her attention to the floor below. The next student had summoned a far worse creation.</p><p>“Consider yourself freed to use whatever techniques and weaponry necessary to deal with that,” Lahabrea stated as he sat down on a bench and leaned back, clearly content to observe.</p><p>“Very well,” Helios murmured, summoning armor and her claymore. Then, she yelled down to the student, “Get off the floor!”</p><p>With them out of her way, Helios launched toward the creature with a wild grin, eager for a good fight. However, a few solid hits and Helios realized something was wrong. A sword wouldn’t do. A moment of hesitation gripped her as her gaze flicked to her friends watching from their seats in the benches…but something had to be done. Resolved, Helios pulled the Underworld around herself and let the complete transformation take her, causing her to tower over the twisted phantom. The lights flickered and dimmed in response to tendrils of Helios’s darkness spreading freely throughout the lecture hall.</p><p>Then, Helios raised a clawed hand and concentrated, willing the phantom to behave long enough for capture—all while her mind whispered for her to kill it, to rend it into pieces and devour its aether—or to offer that aether to her lord.</p><p><em>Capture,</em> Helios reminded herself. Her wings flared wide momentarily as she shoved back against the creature’s aether. Then, familiar tendrils of power wound up her legs, nearly breaking her concentration.</p><p>“Do not interfere!” Lahabrea barked, and the tendrils retreated. “Detention until you must leave for rehearsal, Hades.”</p><p>Helios closed her fist, and an intricate cage of light closed around the phantom, levitating off the floor. She took a deep breath as her darkness clawed inside her chest, begging her to paint the room in blood. With a weapon such as hers, it would be so incredibly <em>easy</em>.</p><p>Helios willed her transformation away and landed lightly on her feet, keeping her eyes on her prey as Lahabrea approached. “Helios, take both concepts to my assistant. We will not be creating any more phantoms today.”</p><p>“Very well.” Helios nodded.</p><p>Lahabrea eyed her warily from behind his red mask, then extended a hand to trap the creature in a concept. The gaol, however, did not disappear. He rubbed his chin in thought. “Might I create a concept of this arcane technique of yours as well?”</p><p>“Ah…? Certainly?” Helios glanced to him, mildly confused. “I-It’s just a simple—”</p><p>“There is a fine line between modesty and self-deprecation, Helios. You ever verge on the latter.” Lahabrea handed her the two concept crystals, then gave her a rare smile. “You did well, and your gaol was incredibly complex. I have acquaintances thrice your age who cannot grasp spells even half as intricate. Be proud of your work.”</p><p>Helios flushed at the praise. “I…I will try. Thank you, Lahabrea. Um… I’ll be off now!”</p><p>With that, Helios fled, fetching the first concept as she did so.</p><p>Lahabrea laughed, shaking his head, then cast his piercing gaze to Hades and Hythlodaeus. “See to it she understands her worth.”</p><p>Both men straightened at his tone and glanced away awkwardly, earning another laugh from their professor as he moved to fetch new teaching materials for the day.</p><p>“…perhaps you should check on her?” Hythlodaeus whispered.</p><p>Hades sighed, crossing his arms in his sleeves. <em>‘Are you quite alright, my dear?’</em></p><p>Down the hall, Helios nearly tripped in response to the address. Why in the <em>world</em> had he decided to call her <em>that</em>? Was it merely a shortened version of Hythlodaeus’s ‘dear friend’ comments?</p><p><em>‘I’m fine!’</em> Helios exclaimed rather unconvincingly. <em>‘I’m receiving a summons from Igeyorhm and Loghrif now…apparently one of Mitron’s creations is causing trouble too.’ </em>There was a pause, then a nervous query, <em>‘…I take it you’re busy again tonight?’</em></p><p><em>‘…I am,’</em> Hades admitted softly. <em>‘Hythlodaeus, however, is free if you need company.’</em></p><p>Helios flushed, her heart falling, but she didn’t wish to give the wrong impression. <em>‘O-of course! I can always catch up with Hythlodaeus. You know, you’re both welcome to drop by and see if I’m around any time.’</em></p><p>Hades held back a sigh, his chest tightening. So, she became flustered at the mention of spending time alone with Hythlodaeus, did she?</p><p>Then perhaps it was best he keep his distance.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“Mail?” Helios arched an eyebrow as she walked into the main room of her apartment, finding an envelope pushed under her door. Curious, she walked over and picked it up—then grimaced. “Cronus again?”</p><p>After reading the nearly indecipherable contents, Helios promptly set off for the capitol building and made her way to the office of Emet-Selch, on which she promptly knocked.</p><p>“Helios? What’s wrong?” Emet-Selch inquired, red eyes widening when he spotted his fuming adoptive daughter.</p><p>“This.” Helios held up the envelope, and Emet-Selch promptly ushered her inside. “Please tell me that Hades hasn’t had to contend with this madman the past several decades?”</p><p>Emet-Selch took the letter and read it, his blood beginning to boil. “…madman is being polite. I will take this to the Convocation, but I want you to remain here until we have found Cronus. Mad or not, it would not be good for your friendship to Hades if you were forced to slay his father. I will push, again, for Cronus to be sent to a ward where we can determine the cause of his venomous behavior. I daresay it borders on the unnatural.”</p><p>“Fine, fine,” Helios muttered, perching on a couch. “Here I shall wait.”</p><p>Emet-Selch nodded, then swiftly left, warding the door to be certain.</p><p><em>‘Tell me, oh Lord of the Underworld, what classes shall you be partaking of today?’</em> Helios reached out after a few minutes, the boredom far too much to bear.</p><p><em>‘…could you </em>knock<em> first?’</em> the breathy response made Helios quirk an eyebrow.</p><p><em>‘I can’t exactly knock on your skull all the way from the capitol building,’</em> Helios answered, an amused smile spreading across her lips as she debated the cause of his tone. <em>‘Aren’t you late for class?’</em></p><p><em>‘You’ve no proof of that!’</em> The embarrassed snap made Helios giggle aloud.</p><p><em>‘Well! Have a good day, and try to avoid anything dangerous. I’m stuck at the capitol today,’</em> Helios informed him cheerfully, and with that, she cut the connection. <em>Hmn, was he alone or…a ‘visitor?’ Hythlodaeus perhaps?</em></p><p>Uncertain, Helios shrugged to herself. She had been gone for decades. It made sense that their connection had deteriorated…or perhaps it had never existed in the first place, and she had simply been mistaken.</p><p>She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. <em>The unrealistic dreams of a child, nothing more. I am his guardian first and their friend second. That is my place in this world.</em></p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Eight</h1><p> </p><p>“How do you find time to ace your assignments <em>and</em> rehearse for your first show, my friend?” Hythlodaeus sighed as they walked down one of the Akadaemia’s halls. “I can scarcely keep up!”</p><p>Hades shrugged faintly. “Unlike you, I don’t leave my assignments for the last minute.”</p><p>The pair paused, watching as several students went <em>running</em> through the halls, heading for the courtyard and murmuring something about monsters.</p><p>“My, my, do you think…?” Hythlodaeus chuckled when Hades took off at a brisk pace. “A ‘yes’ then.”</p><p>The pair pushed their way through the crowds to find Helios’s knight form defending against a creature nearly twice her size. Blood painted the ground in places, one of Helios’s arms hanging loose—until a rush of power popped it back into place.</p><p>“Stay back,” someone in armored robes blocked Hythlodaeus and Hades’s way. “The Telophoroi will handle this. Our recruit is more than— Hey!”</p><p>In a fit of uncharacteristic spontaneity, Hades pushed the person out of the way and stormed through the barrier, a glower set upon his features. Helios was <em>hurt</em> and they were simply standing by as if to watch entertainment? He wouldn’t allow that a moment longer.</p><p><em>‘Join with me. You needn’t fight this creature alone,’</em> Hades commanded, staff appearing in hand.</p><p><em>‘Y-you’re sure? I…’</em> Helios hesitated, then went silent entirely when the creature bore down again, forcing her to block, holding her claymore with both hands.</p><p><em>‘We are stronger together, there is no one without the other. Cease these pitiful heroics and </em>cooperate<em>, Helios.’</em> Hades barely managed to keep his full frustration from his voice. <em>‘I refuse to stand by like a dazzled spectator and watch as you’re hurt by a lesser creature.’</em></p><p><em>‘…I can’t argue with that,’</em> Helios admitted.</p><p>Hades wrapped himself in the Underworld’s power, taking on his sorcerer form in all its majesty. Upon raising a clawed hand, palm up, he summoned Helios’s aether to him, drawing in her essence. The woman’s form swirled apart into shadows and wisps of light, rushing to merge with Hades’s form.</p><p>Power unlike anything he had ever felt radiated through his being once Helios’s aether and very soul mingled with his. A comforting power, yet one which came with suffocating responsibility—in her opinion, at least.</p><p>To him, there was nothing more <em>right</em> in the world than this moment, fleeting as it would be.</p><p>Life and Death, united mind, body, and soul against a common foe. Their actions made together and in instant agreement. Their power dancing and twisting together, inseparable. At home with the other.</p><p><em>“Shall we excise this malformed creature from the star?”</em> They questioned, a hand lifting from their sorcerer half to create a barrier, catching the charged creature upon it. <em>“Or must we keep it alive?”</em></p><p>Whispers erupted through the student body, questioning this monstrous, formidable form. What it meant, and what would happen to those who combined to make it. With each vaguely judging comment, Hades felt Helios shrink in on herself with uncertainty.</p><p><em>‘This is right. This is a power all our own, as it is meant to be. A power beyond their ken,’</em> Hades reassured her, and he felt her soul slink closer to his for comfort.</p><p>“Capture the specimen,” Lahabrea sighed irritably. “Detention for the both of you—for interfering with the Telophoroi, and for <em>allowing</em> that interference.”</p><p>The knight half of their formed lowered the sword, then stabbed it into the ground and channeled power to create a gaol. Once their task was done, they separated. Hades landed gracefully on his feet, but Helios stumbled.</p><p>Hades swiftly turned to catch her, then froze when his hands came away covered in red. His lips parted in brief surprise, then he turned to look for their friend. “Hythlodaeus! Come and heal her, quickly!”</p><p>“Hm hm hm, some things never change.” Hythlodaeus smiled and flicked the barrier around the courtyard, shattering it, then strode over to his friends.</p><p>Lahabrea half a hand over his face. “…detention for you as well.”</p><p>“A small price to pay for our friend’s wellbeing,” Hythlodaeus quipped pointedly, earning a shrug in reply from Lahabrea.</p><p>“I should have known it was Helios I sensed!” Loghrif exclaimed as she marched into the courtyard. The students quickly parted for her, allowing her to approach the troublesome trio. “I’ll help you get her to the infirmary; you can finish healing her there.”</p><p>“Good morning, Loghrif,” Helios remarked, giving the woman a sheepish smile.</p><p>“‘Good morning’ she says!” Loghrif scoffed, before motioning with a finger and conjuring a cloud of darkness. Then, she looked to the men beside her. “Well? What are you waiting for?”</p><p>“If I may…?” Hades grumbled, glancing away from Helios’s face.</p><p>“Of course,” Helios stated with a small smile. She bit back a hiss of pain as Hades lifted her off the ground and carefully placed her on the cloud. Helios’s gaze drifting down to his attire. “…sorry about your robes.”</p><p>“Tch, think nothing of it.” Hades went to brush her hair behind her ear, then stopped upon recalling the blood on his hands. “Be good and sit still.”</p><p>“Hm hm hm…” Hythlodaeus smirked as he watched the exchange, studying the way his friends bashfully looked away from each other, the gears in his head turning. “Hades, why don’t you return to our dorm and change?”</p><p>“I… Yes, perhaps that would be best,” Hades relented, stepping away from his friends, his heart clenching.</p><p>Without another word, Hades turned and left, unaware for Helios reaching out to stop him. She let out a sigh and let her hand fall to the side.</p><p>“What was that about?” Helios asked, baffled.</p><p>Hythlodaeus chuckled. “Covered as he is in your blood, it would do him well to clear his mind. Now then, to what do we owe your visit, Loghrif?”</p><p>The woman laughed as she floated Helios down the nearest hall. “Igeyorhm and I have been wanting to check in on how Helios is doing. She’s been ignoring our dinner invitations.”</p><p>“You two <em>scheme</em> when together!” Helios retorted, then groaned and curled in on herself, and hand coming up to her ribs. “Ow…”</p><p>Loghrif crossed her arms at Helios. “Only because <em>you</em> scheme to avoid girl time. Now that you’re back in Amaurot, we have much to show you!”</p><p>“I’ll pass,” Helios snorted.</p><p>“Oh? Surely you wish to find some way to express yourself,” Loghrif suggested slyly. “From clothes to wear in private, to perhaps lipstick to wear in public, Igeyorhm and I have plenty of ideas. After all, you’re the age to start dating! Why, I was your age when I first met Mitron.”</p><p>“W-what? No! Who has time for such frivolous things?” Helios exclaimed. “Besides, for that—”</p><p>“You could always ask Hades,” Hythlodaeus teased, his lips pulling into a mischievous grin.</p><p>“What? I-I thought you and he… I mean, you two have always been close. So—” Helios stumbled over her words growing ever more embarrassed as Hythlodaeus laughed outright, clutching his sides.</p><p>“Certainly not! We are good friends, but he and I are far from compatible in that regard—and I am already pursuing a relationship elsewhere,” Hythlodaeus answered once his laughter had subsided.</p><p>Loghrif chuckled at the exchange. “Enough of that. Let us see to Helios’s wounds before you are expected for your next class.”</p><p>A short while later, Helios fidgeted with the sleeves of a new robe, her mask off and her hood down for the moment. Loghrif and Hythlodaeus had left for their own duties, leaving her to settle into her fresh attire and compose herself before making her way to her next class.</p><p>A familiar presence behind her, however, drew her attention and she shifted to look up at Hades questioningly. He, however, had his hood and mask in place. A streak of telltale white hair hanging out of his hood was one of the few clues to his identity. Helios, however, would recognize the feel of the aether around him anywhere.</p><p>“How are your wounds?” Hades asked quietly, studying Helios’s face intently for even the slightest hint of harm or pain.</p><p>“All healed.” Helios smiled in answer. “I’m sorry you got dragged into my troubles, and got detention for it as well. They are being quite strict about my training.”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “I would be angry if you <em>hadn’t</em> allowed me to interfere. While I don’t believe the Convocation would have sat by and let you be mortally wounded…”</p><p>Helios chuckled and pulled her hair back, then flipped up her hood and reached for her mask. “I must be getting to class, so I suppose I will see you at detention?”</p><p>She started to walk past Hades, but he caught her wrist, stopping her.</p><p>“Helios.”</p><p>“Hmn? What is it?” Helios shifted to look up at him, but his gaze was averted.</p><p>“Do you…find me, and our powers, repulsive?” Hades asked quietly, his voice barely a whisper.</p><p>“<em>What</em> Absolutely not!” Helios exclaimed, turning to face him fully. “Where is <em>this</em> coming from, Hades?”</p><p>A sad smile spread across his lips as he lifted a hand to her face. “Your soul tells me things that you will not, but only in the vaguest of details. I sensed immense repulsion from you before and after we joined our powers.”</p><p>Helios sighed, averting her gaze. “…the…’beast’ inside me has gotten worse with the passage of time. I didn’t want you to have to see…<em>that</em>. You must have sensed my repulsion at the way that <em>thing</em> makes me feel.”</p><p>Hades stroked Helios’s cheek with his thumb as he studied her, making certain she spoke the truth, painful though it was. Finally, he gave her a small smile. “My beautiful monster. I accept the power you hold, so why can’t you? What must I do to make you realize it’s something to <em>embrace</em>?”</p><p>“I-I couldn’t possibly… That…” Helios flushed, looking away, unable to quite read Hades’s expression or tone. “The power I hold doesn’t belong in such a peaceful time, Hades. I don’t know why I would have been given this ‘gift’ now.”</p><p>“There must be a reason for us to have these powers…no matter what our fellow students are whispering,” Hades muttered, his hand falling away from her face as he took a step back. He started to turn for the door, then stopped and glanced back at Helios. “Where is your next class? Perhaps we can walk together.”</p><p>“At the Words of Azem. Ah, did you need something from me?” Helios blurted, earning a dubious look from her friend. “Wh-what? Is that a no?”</p><p>“Our friendship is not transactional, Helios.” Hades raised an eyebrow at her.</p><p>“Sorry it’s just…habit,” Helios grumbled awkwardly, linking her hands behind her back. “Azem, Emet-Selch, and I are only ever approached when someone needs help with something, you see…”</p><p>Hades shook his head in disbelief, heading for the door. “I am offering you likeminded company, Helios, it is truly that simple. You may be grateful for it, given the whispering in these halls after our transformation this morning.”</p><p><em>…is he trying to protect me?</em> Helios realized, stifling the giggle that thought brought her. She promptly caught up to him and fell into step. “It may take me some time to grow accustomed to our relationship again. I’ll simply have to request you be patient—and forgive me.”</p><p>“I have a gift for you,” Hades stated after a moment, drawing Helios’s questioning gaze. He waited until they passed a group of loitering students, then offered Helios two tickets. “In case you’ve forgotten, we once agreed to visit a theatre together. I imagine you haven’t yet had the opportunity, busy as you’ve been.”</p><p>“You remembered that?” Helios exclaimed in surprise. “I figured, by now, you would have forgotten, lost interest, or been too absorbed in your own theatrical training to—”</p><p>“I…confess I have yet to attend a show myself.” Hades glanced away, a hint of color in his cheeks. “Given that we had agreed to go together…I waited. If you would prefer to go with Hythlodaeus—”</p><p>“I’d be delighted to go with you!” Helios threw her arms around Hades’s torso and squeezed him. She beamed up at him as he flushed and swiftly tried to compose himself.</p><p>“H-Helios! Public displays are—” Hades shifted his head to the side, looking away as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, his heart racing. “Unless you wish for extended detention—”</p><p>Helios silenced him with a beaming smile. “Besides, my class is here. We can go over our plans more during detention.”</p><p>The pair separated, and Hades heaved a sigh, covering his face with one hand momentarily. How had his day started with bloodshed and turned to…that? And there were still hours of go before his day was done.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Twenty-Nine</h1><p> </p><p>“Well! <em>Finally</em> Helios responds to our summons!” Igeyorhm remarked, her arms crossed as she studied the young woman. “To hear Loghrif speak of you, it sounded as though you were avoiding us.”</p><p>“I <em>was</em>,” Helios grumbled defensively. “But now I must ask advice. Azem and Emet-Selch were impressively unhelpful.”</p><p>Loghrif laughed at that and motioned to a nearby seat. “Why don’t we speak face-to-face? We haven’t seen you since you were a child!”</p><p>Helios hesitated, then pulled her mask off and her hood down, uncertain what to think of their familiarity with her. Alas, neither seemed to have any issue in pulling their hoods down and masks off. In fact, they looked more relaxed for it.</p><p>“How fare you after yesterday’s incident?” Igeyorhm inquired. “Lahabrea expressed his worry over the student body’s gossip when he came home last night.”</p><p><em>Even Lahabrea is worried?</em> Helios tilted her head faintly, contemplating it. “To be blunt, I don’t care about the student’s reactions—just those of Hades and Hythlodaeus. Hades, however, is bothered by the gossip. I think the cultural wariness regarding the Underworld is wearing on his patience after having lived in Aeacus.”</p><p>“Oh? Then what advice is it you need?” Loghrif raised an eyebrow, taking a seat across from Helios. “Your powers, perhaps?”</p><p>“No… Um…” Helios struggled with herself for a moment. “I’m to visit one of Amaurot’s theatres with Hades this weekend and I haven’t the faintest idea what to wear. He said the dress code is formal—but what does that even <em>mean</em>?”</p><p>The women shared a conspiratorial glance, then Igeyorhm smirked and put an arm around Helios’s shoulders. “First, we are going to have to visit your apartment and see what you have. Then, dear Helios, we will have to go shopping.”</p><p>“Wh-what? No, no, no. Surely that won’t be necessary.” Helios shook her head.</p><p>“We’ll be the judge of that. Let’s go.” Loghrif got to her feet, grinning.</p><p><em>Oh no…what have I done?</em> Helios reluctantly brought the women to her apartment in Achora Heights and watched in silence as they went through her scant belongings.</p><p>“Just as I thought. Nothing suitable at all.” Igeyorhm studied a rather worn shirt, then looked to where Loghrif was rummaging around in Helios’s vanity. “Well?”</p><p>Loghrif shook her head. “None of these are her color. I think it’s well past time we take Helios on a little journey of self-discovery. Clearly being on the move all the time with Azem and Emet-Selch has done nothing to help her in that regard.”</p><p>“Agreed. It shall be our treat.” Igeyorhm nodded, then turned to smile at Helios. “You’re in good hands with us. Nothing boosts one’s confidence quite like finding a way to express oneself.”</p><p>Helios sighed. “I have no choice, do I?”</p><p>Loghrif gave a throaty laugh at that. “Not if you want the theatre to let you through the door. If you wish to accompany Hades, you’ll let us work our magic.”</p><p>Not long after, Helios found herself in a boutique with the women fussing over clothing options, trying their damnedest to determine what she even <em>liked</em>.</p><p>“Absolutely not,” Helios stated when Loghrif held up a bright pink dress. “I refuse to even try that one on.”</p><p>“What of this?” Igeyorhm held up a formfitting blue dress.</p><p>Helios sighed. “Better, but—”</p><p>“Well then, why don’t we start with colors?” Loghrif pulled over a book with numerous swatches of cloth.</p><p>Sighing, Helios pulled out a mere seven colors; black, white, ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, and silver. “I prefer black, but if I <em>must</em> wear color or something with color…”</p><p>“Let’s get you into a few different styles and see what clicks. After all, we’ve an entire wardrobe to fill.” Igeyorhm handed a long black dress with a plunging neckline to Helios. “Go try this on while we find more possibilities.”</p><p><em>An entire wardrobe…? Really? Why bother when we usually only wear robes?</em> Helios kept her complaints to herself and obliged, trying on the dress. She studied herself in the mirror, then let out a soft sigh. <em>Well, there’s no pretending it doesn’t accentuate…everything.</em></p><p>“I remain unconvinced,” Helios stated, stepping out of the changing room for the women to judge.</p><p>“Why? You look lovely,” Loghrif reassured her.</p><p>“Well…” Helios rubbed one of her scarred arms absentmindedly, averting her gaze. “I-I figure no one would want to see…”</p><p>Igeyorhm shifted to look over, quickly realizing what was bothering their young companion. “Helios, your scars are your trophies. Proof of your valor—and proof you’re <em>alive</em>. Anyone who would look down upon you for them is not worth your time.”</p><p>“They might also be a painful reminder for my friends…” Helios muttered in discomfort.</p><p>“I think not.” Loghrif shook her head. “Perhaps you should give them the opportunity to make up their own minds, rather than deciding for them?”</p><p>“…point taken.” Helios grimaced. “If we aren’t hiding my scars, then… Could we perhaps find a more flattering dress? I like this neckline, but perhaps something with an open back?”</p><p>“Finally she comes around!” Igeyorhm beamed. “Yes, yes I think that sounds like an excellent option. Loghrif, find her less formal clothes while I go search for a dress.”</p><p><em>I hope this isn’t wasted effort…</em> Helios sighed, then gave Loghrif a questioning look as she approached. “What is it?”</p><p>“Lipstick.” Loghrif handed her a tube of deep red. “Reds will look better than the pinks you’ve been wearing.”</p><p>“You’re sure? It seems a bit bold,” Helios murmured, uncertainty gripping her again.</p><p>“Helios, when it comes to battle you are the boldest woman I know. Its high time your domestic self reflected that. After all, <em>that</em> is your true self, is it not?” Loghrif smiled and shooed Helios toward the changing room. “I’ll fetch more colors for you after I’ve seen to Igeyorhm’s task. We won’t lead you astray.”</p><p>Igeyorhm suddenly called from around the corner, “Don’t forget lingerie!”</p><p><em>For the love of…</em> Helios sighed, then retreated to the changing room. Doomed. She was doomed.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty</h1><p> </p><p>The next day, Helios hurried through the Akadaemia and to the class she was running late to. Upon reaching the geological wing, she slipped into the lecture hall and into a seat in the back, thankful to find their teacher hadn’t arrived yet.</p><p>She swiftly surveyed the room, sensing two familiar presences, but everyone’s backs were to her. Resigned, she decided to keep her seat and waited.</p><p>A short while later, a young woman walked up to the podium and began calling names.</p><p>“Helios?” Came the inevitable question, and the professor’s lips turned into a frown as she read her sheet.</p><p>“Lurking again…” Hades’s agitated mutter caught her ears. <em>‘You could have </em>asked<em> where we were sitting.’</em></p><p><em>‘Slipped my mind,’</em> Helios admitted wryly. </p><p>“Ah-ha! I knew it!” Professor Eliana exclaimed, looking around excitedly. “Miss Helios? Creator of magicite and auracite? Come here please.”</p><p><em>…for fuck’s sake.</em> Helios begrudgingly rose to her feet, painting her expression neutral as she descended the steps. The Underworld pulled at her, shadows drawing her toward Hades as she strode past him, but she ignored it. “Here, Professor Eliana. Though I daresay you act more a student than I.”</p><p>A ripple of snickers ran through the class, but Eliana remained unfazed. She smiled brightly and procured a concept crystal. “Our class today is about the creation and application of auracite. I hear you’re quite talented in crystalline creations—why don’t you show the class how you create auracite?”</p><p>“…very well. I won’t be needing <em>that</em>,” Helios stated, waving off Eliana when she attempted to offer Helios the concept.</p><p>“Oh?” The professor smiled. “You don’t wish to see the improved concept?”</p><p>At that, Helios’s eyes cut to the side in a way that, despite his silent fuming, Hades’s lips twitched into a small smile. <em>So </em>challenge<em> still works on her, does it?</em></p><p>“I had heard Amaurotines could be quite arrogant,” Helios remarked casually, shifting to look at Eliana in a way that made her go pale. “But really, you’re assuming I haven’t touched my own concept in the decades since I created it? I’m disappointed. Well? Go on then, <em>impress me</em>.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus leaned toward Hades with a smirk. “Well, she’s going to be a handful, isn’t she?”</p><p>“She always has been…but something has changed, yes,” Hades murmured, studying their friend curiously. She seemed to be standing taller, yet it wasn’t an act. Helios radiated newfound confidence, and those present had begun to take notice.</p><p>“How dare you, I am your professor!” Eliana exclaimed.</p><p>“And you both insulted and challenged me. Make it worth my while.” Helios crossed her arms, her deep red painted lips pulling into a bored frown.</p><p>Hades’s gaze drifted to her lips, surprise gripping him. <em>That</em> was certainly new and…alluring. He attempted to pull his eyes from the curve of her mouth, heart racing. He couldn’t deny the blood red suited her in more ways than one.</p><p>Hythlodaeus shot his friend a sideways glance, smirking. “My, my, is that a weakness I spy?”</p><p>“I haven’t any idea what you are referring to.” Hades dismissed the comment, his voice rough—a detail that elicited a mischievous chuckle from his companion.</p><p>Eliana glowered at Helios, then summoned three dozen shards of clouded auracite and distributed them to each of the students present. The final one, she handed to Helios.</p><p>Helios prodded it with her aether, her expression becoming more disappointed by the moment. When she went to infuse it, it shattered from hitting capacity nearly immediately, shards of crystal drawing blood on her cheek.</p><p>Hades narrowed his eyes at the thin lines of red on Helios’s face, his blood beginning to boil. <em>If that leaves a permanent mark…</em></p><p>“Hmn. The design has regressed? Who permitted <em>that</em> to happen? I will have to consult with Azem and Emet-Selch…” Helios murmured mostly to herself. Then, she concentrated, and hundreds of crystals appeared in the air around her, glimmering like stars. Her mind made up, she began handing them out to each of the students individually…ending with Hythlodaeus and Hades.</p><p>“Helios—” Hades. started, his voice low, but Helios shook her head.</p><p><em>‘I’ll be fine, it’s barely a scratch,’</em> Helios reassured him. Then, Helios returned to the fuming professor and tossed a handful of crystals up and down in one hand. “Well? What would you like them to <em>do</em> with their auracite?”</p><p>“Charge them until they’re full!” Eliana snapped.</p><p>Hades scoffed, crossing one leg over the other, looking much like a bored aristocrat of eld. “Are you <em>trying</em> to end us all? It would take lifetimes to fill these to capacity.”</p><p><em>Oh, he’s gotten better at that,</em> Helios mused, studying Hades’s robed form. <em>A benefit of his theatre training, or…?</em></p><p>“Professor Eliana, calm yourself,” a familiar voice ordered, and Helios grimaced inwardly before turning to see Lahabrea and two of his aides striding closer.</p><p>“The esteemed Lahabrea, you honor us with your presence,” Helios remarked with a certain, practiced sarcasm that went over the heads of most present. “Is aught amiss?”</p><p>Lahabrea narrowed his eyes at the troublemaker. “<em>You</em> will spend your afterschool hours cleaning the phantomology department. After, I expect a formal submission of your improved concepts—and any other useful contraptions you’ve created over the past several decades you’ve spent under Azem’s wing. I hear there are many.</p><p>“Do you know why you are being punished?”</p><p>“Because, in Amaurot, you would <em>oh</em> so appreciate it if I refrained from humiliating the professors in <em>any</em> fashion—even if they deserve it,” Helios answered sweetly.</p><p>“And now you will be doing the same task tomorrow as well.” Lahabrea sighed.</p><p>Helios shrugged. “Passivity is against my nature and I will fight it with every ounce of my being. I would suggest you advise your professors to set aside their city-bred arrogance and fragile egos. If they insist on instigating conflict, I <em>will</em> put them in their place.”</p><p>“And is it not arrogance on your part to think your concept so superior to Eliana’s?” Lahabrea countered, clearly annoyed with the blunt woman.</p><p>“No, it’s fact. I am intimately acquainted with magicite and auracite, and have spent years enhancing their design,” Helios answered matter-of-factly. “And, I have been using them for just as long, in and outside of combat. Eliana’s concept shattered in answer to the first <em>touch</em> of my power.”</p><p>Resigned, Lahabrea held out a hand. “Let me see for myself.”</p><p>“As you wish,” Helios answered in a sing-song tone, doing as he asked.</p><p>Clearly trying to make a point, Lahabrea exploded with fiery power, channeling his might into the auracite as if he had a mind to break it. The crystal grew brilliant, white-hot in answer to his power, before dimming to shade of blue. He stroked his chin in thought with his free hand. “You didn’t flinch.”</p><p>“To be quite blunt, that was a spring breeze in comparison to the monsters Azem finds,” Helios answered, shaking her head.</p><p>At that, to the class’s surprise, Lahabrea <em>laughed</em>.</p><p>“I will have to impress the importance of teaching their children <em>manners</em> the next time I see them,” Lahabrea remarked, closing his fist around the auracite. Then, he looked to Eliana. “And you need manners impressed upon you as well. You are here to teach, not to flaunt accomplishments or instigate students into quarrels.”</p><p>“Does this mean I’m off cleaning duty?” Helios grinned, already knowing the answer, but Lahabrea was too fun <em>not</em> to poke.</p><p>“Hah! Three days. Ask again, and it will be the entire semester.” Lahabrea shook his head, turned to leave, then stopped, holding up the auracite. “Your improved creation <em>has</em> given me some inspiration, however. Consider yourself free of punishment for today and this weekend…if you behave yourself in the remainder of your classes.”</p><p>Eliana twitched and glowered at Helios. “Go sit down.”</p><p>Lahabrea stopped in the doorway and sighed heavily upon hearing the woman’s tone. “Class is dismissed. Go see to your other studies until it is time for your next class. Eliana, with me”</p><p>Helios shot Eliana a triumphant smirk, then headed toward where Hades and Hythlodaeus sat—noticing Hades’s gaze promptly drifting to her lips. “Shall we head to the library? Or perhaps play a game of chess while we wait?”</p><p>“You will lose,” Hades stated, rising to his feet.</p><p>“But I will learn,” Helios answered with a playful smile. “Or I can watch the two of you play, if you prefer. Unless you have a better idea?”</p><p><em>…I have many, many better ideas…</em> Hades shook the thoughts away. “Depending on how well you perform, perhaps we can move on to three-dimensional chess.”</p><p>“You have my attention.” Helios grinned at him, the flash of fangs making some of the other students skirt around them. “Shall we?”</p><p>Hythlodaeus sighed at his friends and gave them a crooked smile. “Truly, we need to find the two of you less competitive hobbies.”</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-One</h1><p> </p><p>The weekend came, and Helios found herself pacing her apartment nervously, fidgeting with the elegant gown she wore. Pale gold jewelry accompanied the ensemble, and she had even pulled her pearlescent hair into an updo. Her makeup was done, her shoes and perfume were on, but she was struck with more nerves than anticipated.</p><p>The attire both was and wasn’t her. That was to say, every piece of her outfit made her feel more confident and powerful—yet no one had ever seen her like that. She worried Hades might think she was trying too hard to conform. Or that she was trying too hard to impress him.</p><p>She shook her head. She didn’t <em>need</em> to try and impress him. They were already close. If anything, she figured he was more likely to tease her for her appearance. Going from the bloodied warrior-child she once was to…whatever she was now. A quiet laugh escaped her at the thought. it was, admittedly, an absurd dichotomy.</p><p>Feeling a little better, Helios checked the time and then pulled on the long coat Igeyorhm and Loghrif had suggested. They had mentioned something about companions liking to ‘unwrap’ their acquaintances, but she had to admit the notion went over her head. After all, her relationship with Hades seemed rather platonic, she figured.</p><p>Helios headed downstairs and to the main floor to wait for Hades, discovering he was already there—and fidgeting with the cuffs of his suit jacket. She admired him a moment, taking in his long legs, balanced frame, and the long wavy hair he had pulled back into a ponytail—though his slightly shorter bangs remained loose.</p><p>“Right on time, I see,” Helios remarked, drawing Hades’s attention to her. She smiled as his pacing slowed to a stop, his golden eyes widening slightly. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”</p><p>“No, I’ve only been here a few minutes…” Hades reached up and tugged lightly at the collar of her coat. “Is this what you’re wearing?”</p><p>“By definition, perhaps,” Helios answered sarcastically. She gave the front of his suit a sharp tug in answer and gave him a playful smile. “It’s my <em>coat</em>, Hades. You may help me take it off once we reach the theatre.”</p><p>“Of course.” Hades paused to clear his throat, color creeping into his cheeks as he offered Helios his arm. “Shall we?”</p><p>Helios stifled a laugh and accepted his arm, tucking herself up against his side. “Certainly.”</p><p>“…you’re beautiful,” Hades admitted quietly after taking a few moments to collect his thoughts, the nighttime light of Amaurot helping to hide his flushed face.</p><p>“Thank you,” Helios answered with a smile, put more at ease by the knowledge he claimed he would never lie to her. And by the fact he didn’t strike her as the type of person who <em>would</em> lie about such a thing. <em>However…let’s see if he still thinks that way once he’s seen me without the coat.</em></p><p>“Shall we dine at the theatre? That is an option,” Hades offered, glancing down at his companion, his gaze searching. “Or we could dine after, if you prefer.”</p><p>“Which would <em>you</em> prefer?” Helios countered, amused by his almost innocent expression. “I am fine with either option.”</p><p>“Perhaps at the theatre? I’ve heard claim it’s a part of the experience that should not be missed…” Hades murmured.</p><p>“Then let’s share a meal at the theatre,” Helios answered cheerfully. “It’s not as if this is the <em>only</em> time I’ll go to the theatre with you—but our first experience with it should be the genuine one, yes?”</p><p>Hades gave her a lopsided smile. “I was hoping you might say that.”</p><p><em>Which part?</em> Helios mused to herself.</p><p>Upon arrival, Hades showed the doorman their tickets and they were led to a private balcony within the theatre—a detail that took Helios by mild surprise. She had heard that such seats were reserved for those with prestige. How had Hades acquired such supposedly exclusive arrangements?</p><p>“May I?” Hades motioned loosely to Helios’s coat.</p><p>“Of course,” Helios answered, reaching up and swiftly undoing the buttons on the front of her coat, then permitting Hades to assist in pulling it off—giving him full view of her scarred back as he did so. A smirk formed on her face briefly when she heard his breath catch, but she quickly smoothed her expression over and then turned to face him with a smile. “Shall we order wine with our meal?”</p><p>Hades’s lips parted in surprise as he took in Helios’s dress, the contrast with her skin, and the numerous scars it put on display. He caught himself before he could linger on the swell of her breasts, instead lifting his gaze to her pale eyes.</p><p>“I believe wine would be an excellent choice,” Hades answered, pulling out a chair for Helios and motioning for her to sit. Once she was settled, he couldn’t help but run one of his fingertips along a scar between her shoulder blades, watching as her back arched faintly at the contact. “…what is this one from?”</p><p>Helios’s heart pounded in her chest. Why had that felt so…<em>good</em>? Crossing one leg over the other, she swiftly composed herself. “That one is from a fight in the northeastern territories. We discovered a tribe of peoples who had been stranded after an avalanche. They had become paranoid and crazed due to hunger, and we had to fight them to calm them. One managed to get the jump on me while I was trying to subdue their chieftain.”</p><p>“And this one?” Hades asked, his fingers drifting lower, watching in fascination as she shivered.</p><p>“From a wolf-like beast in the western forests. Their claws are sharp enough to penetrate armor,” Helios answered, then tilted her head in thought. “Hmn, really, I may need to create a new concept for armor. After earlier this week, my armor—transformed and otherwise—is nearly destroyed.”</p><p>“This one seems recent,” Hades remarked, trailing his fingers up her back and to her left shoulder, tracing the arcing scar up to the side of her throat with his index finger.</p><p>“W-well, you would be right about that.” Helios cleared her throat, then continued, “I admit that one is embarrassingly simple. An eagle became quite angry with my ship’s crew and I on our return to Amaurot. It tore into me with its talons as if it was of a mind to fly me right off the ship!”</p><p>Hades’s gaze drifted downward again, noting that her scars extended out of view, hidden by her dress. A strong compulsion to acquaint himself with each and every one of her scars, though fingers, lips, and tongue gripped him. He hastily shoved the thought away and moved away from the delicious-smelling woman and took his seat across the table from her.</p><p>After a moment, Helios mustered the courage to ask, “…you aren’t bothered by my scars?”</p><p>At that, Hades looked over at her in surprise. “Not at all. They are part of you, a chronicle of the journey that has brought you this far. To reject them would be to reject <em>you</em>.”</p><p>A sigh escaped her. “That’s a relief.”</p><p>“Is that what you were so nervous about?” Hades asked with a knowing smile, receiving a slight pout in response. “Should anyone make you feel uncomfortable about your scars… I will gladly put them in their place.”</p><p>Helios chuckled. “I would like to see that.”</p><p>“Have you any preference for wine?” Hades inquired, offering Helios the menu.</p><p>“Hmm…” Helios skimmed the list, then gave him a questioning look. “Which is your favorite?”</p><p>Hades raised an eyebrow at that. “I am asking you to choose.”</p><p>“And I am choosing we go with whatever is your favorite, as I haven’t tried <em>any</em> of these,” Helios retorted with a good-natured laugh. “I recognize some of the names, of course, but I’m afraid that is where my knowledge ends.”</p><p>“And are you going to make me choose both our dinners as well?” Hades asked dryly.</p><p>“Not at all—that, I assure you, is quite an easy decision for me.” Helios grinned and leaned forward slightly, her breasts pressing together distractingly. “I admit that, with dessert, I may move on to something a bit stronger than wine. There’s several liquors listed here that I quite like.”</p><p>“Whatever you desire,” Hades mused, handing the menus to Helios so she could mark her orders. Then, he stood. “I’ll return in a moment.”</p><p>Helios watched him leave, taking the opportunity to admire his ass as he went. Then, she shook her head and looked down at the theatre below, taking in the fancily dressed crowds, the lively thrum of anticipation as everyone waited for the show to begin.</p><p>A short while later, hands slid into place on her shoulders and she glanced upward to see Hades standing behind her, his gaze out on the theatre as well—but rather than focus on the crowd, he seemed to be studying the stage.</p><p>“If all goes well, I will be performing here ere long…” Hades murmured. He hesitated to release Helios’s shoulders, then returned to his seat.</p><p>“You should let me know when your first performance is,” Helios suggested, her tone one of encouragement. “I’d like to be there for it.”</p><p>“Truly?” Hades questioned, shifting to meet her gaze. Then, he smiled. “Then I will endeavor to earn my role before some duty or other draws you away from Amaurot again.”</p><p>With that, the pair settled into a comfortable silence to watch the play unfold below, sharing in good wine, good food, and—most importantly—good company.</p><p>A few short hours later, Hades strolled toward Achora Heights with his arm around Helios’s waist, mildly concerned that perhaps alcohol and high heels were not the best combination for his friend. She insisted she was quite fine, and that seemed to be true, but she didn’t try to push him away, either.</p><p>“How about a game of chess?” Helios suggested abruptly upon reaching the lift to Achora Heights. She looked up at Hades with a warm, inviting smile. “Unless you have to be awake early, of course.”</p><p><em>She’s inviting me… Without Hythlodaeus?</em> Hades studied her a moment, then nodded. “I don’t have anything pressing until later in the day, I’m sure we have time for a match or two.”</p><p>Helios’s expression brightened in a rather particular way, then she pulled him into the lift with her, looking rather overjoyed.</p><p><em>Still not comfortable being on her own, is she?</em> Hades studied her out of the corners of his eyes for a moment. Then, he shrugged inwardly. At least he had gotten her to cease repeatedly thanking him for taking her to see a play. Endearing as it was…he also found it unspeakably embarrassing.</p><p>“Let’s see… Wine? Or have you had enough for one evening?” Helios inquired as they entered her apartment.</p><p>“Why don’t you get more comfortable first?” Hades suggested, with a crooked smile. “Lovely as your attire is, I imagine you are sick of it by now.”</p><p>“Not exactly, but it <em>does</em> limit my movement…” Helios tilted her head a moment, shrugged, then motioned loosely. “Make yourself at home. I shan’t be long.”</p><p>The moment she was gone, Hades called forth his soul sight and studied the apartment. Traces of Igeyorhm and Loghrif remained…but nothing of Hythlodaeus. He frowned slightly at that. Had he misjudged?</p><p>He moved into the living room and perched on a chair after removing his suit jacket, then turned his gaze out to the view of Amaurot. Truly…she seemed to have one of the best views of the city. Azem and Emet-Selch must have chosen to spoil her. Deservedly, he figured, after all she had been through in her life. Words alone never seemed to make her understand when someone cared.</p><p>“Let’s see… Wine, water, juice, liquor—take your pick,” Helios called as she returned from her room, wearing a short nightgown under a long, plush robe.</p><p>Hades forced his eyes away from her thighs and where they met the short satin skirt. “…wine.”</p><p>Helios disappeared into the kitchen and, when she returned, she had closed her robe and tied it shut. She offered Hades his glass with a smile, then sat across from him and conjured an entirely unfamiliar ‘chess’ board.</p><p>“And what is this?” Hades questioned.</p><p>“A strategic game played in one of the eastern metropolises, with many more types of pieces—and with varied terrain. I thought, perhaps, I could introduce <em>you</em> to something new for once,” Helios answered, a challenging smile settling on her face. “I think a more tactical game would be quite fun to play with you.”</p><p>Hades gave her a devious smirk in answer. “Teach me, then.”</p>
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<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Two</h1><p> </p><p>Helios walked into the Bureau of the Architect, a grumpy Lahabrea following close behind.</p><p>The receptionist shot them a questioning look. “Esteemed Lahabrea, to what do we owe the pleasure?”</p><p>“<em>This one</em> has numerous concepts to submit, and I intend to be present for it. We will need a private room—a large one.” Lahabrea managed to keep his ire from fully entering his voice, but Helios knew well enough that she was in trouble—so she kept her mouth shut.</p><p>Minutes later, the agitated Convocation member sat down, then narrowed his eyes at Helios. “I know they taught you to save all your concepts as crystals. Summon all of them. Now.”</p><p>“…we might need more space,” Helios grumbled, scratching at her cheek as she glanced away.</p><p>“Then summon <em>some</em> of them, and we will begin the arduous process of sorting through and submitting <em>all</em> of them,” Lahabrea snapped.</p><p>“It can’t be <em>that</em>—” One of the employees began, but then dozens of concept crystals appeared around Helios. “…oh.”</p><p>“I saved all the iterations as instructed too,” Helios murmured in embarrassment. “I’m uncertain how practical or useful any of these are but—”</p><p>“Helios, you are a gifted creator,” Lahabrea interrupted. “As ever, you are your own worst enemy. Embrace your creativity and simply do what seems <em>right</em>. It would do you some good.”</p><p>“If you insist.” Helios smiled.</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Three</h1><p> </p><p>Hythlodaeus watched as his friends argued over a game board in disagreement over tactics for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. In the years since Helios’s return to Amaurot, it seemed that they had all become more comfortable with each other—but that had been accompanied by both Hades and Helios losing nearly <em>every</em> filter they had once used when addressing each other.</p><p>If one thought the other was being an imbecile, they would say as much—thus their current argument. Something about what tactics were most sound when dealing with ranged weaponry on mountainous terrain.</p><p>Hythlodaeus listened to them argue in circles a few minutes more, before getting to his feet and walking over to their table, unnoticed. <em>Something</em> had to be done before they wound up dueling indoors, and in their transformation, <em>again</em>.</p><p>Without a second thought, Hythlodaeus grasped them each by the backs of their necks and pushed them the rest of the way over the board, causing their lips to meet. All argument abruptly halted as his friends turned scarlet in the face and promptly faced their backs to the other.</p><p>“Are you quite done?” Hythlodaeus inquired, his voice a calm threat. “Good, as I have an announcement to make.”</p><p>“Which <em>is</em>?” Hades shot his friend a murderous glare.</p><p>“I was approached for—and promptly declined—the seat of Emet-Selch,” Hythlodaeus answered cheerfully. “Instead, I’ve accepted the chief position at the Bureau of the Architect.”</p><p>“Is that so?” Hades arched an eyebrow at his friend. “Congratulations for your consideration…though I daresay I cannot recall hearing of someone declining such an opportunity before.”</p><p>“The seat of…” Helios murmured, lips pulling into a frown, immediately forgetting Hythlodaeus’s antics. “That’s strange, I didn’t know they were considering stepping down and… Hmmm. Why you instead of me, I wonder?”</p><p>Hades glanced at the troubled woman. Even she was unaware her adoptive parents were seeking to pass down their seats? Strange indeed. He could only imagine how she might feel hurt that her favorite hadn’t offered her the seat.</p><p>“I cannot share the details, I’m afraid, sworn to secrecy as I am.” Hythlodaeus raised his hands in a shrug. “Merely that they said it is time for change and, in accordance with tradition, they will both be stepping down once they discover suitable replacements.”</p><p>“Why did you decline the honor?” Hades asked.</p><p>“Not my style.” Hythlodaeus winked.</p><p>Hades sighed and shook his head, then looked over to the brooding Helios. “Shall we play another match, or would you prefer we argue strategy instead?”</p><p>“Hmph. We can put the tactic to the proof in simulation, I suppose,” Helios answered, shifting in her seat. Then, she paused and looked up at the smirking Hythlodaeus. “Congratulations on accepting an appointment you find preferable. When do you start?”</p><p>“In a few weeks time,” Hythlodaeus chuckled. “Thank you, my friend. I imagine the three of us will be seeing much of each other once we have all found our appointments. Now, can the two of you refrain from tearing out each other’s throats long enough for me to go pick up dinner for us?”</p><p>“We will be fine. We merely have strong opinions,” Hades answered with a dismissive wave. “Opinions we, admittedly, are too passionate about at times. I will endeavor to wait until we’ve <em>tested</em> tactics before arguing about them.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus shrugged helplessly, leaving his friends to their game.</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Chapter 34</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Four</h1><p> </p><p><em>A summons?</em> Helios studied the letter in her hand, frowning. It was more formal than necessary, given it was from one of her fathers. That could only mean so many things, as far as she was concerned. A small sigh escaped her. <em>Second pick for the role of Emet-Selch, perhaps?</em></p><p>Helios swiftly dressed, then made her way to the capitol. After showing the receptionist her summons, she was led swiftly to Azem’s office, where she was greeted with a beaming grin and a warm hug, before being ushered into a seat and offered tea.</p><p>“What is this about?” Helios asked as Azem sat across from her. “You <em>never</em> summon me so formally.”</p><p>“Straight to the point as usual.” Azem nodded, an approving smile on his face. “I summoned you here to officially offer you the seat of Azem, Helios. You have all the makings of a Black Sun, and the Convocation has already given their blessing—assuming you complete the training.”</p><p>“An… Azem of the Black? Are you serious?” Helios exclaimed, torn between flattered and furious. “Did you not think to <em>tell me sooner</em> that you expected I might be <em>that</em> instead of the next Emet-Selch?! The legends—”</p><p>Azem held up a hand to calm her. “Superstitions from our homeland’s colorful past, Helios. There isn’t enough evidence to suggest we should heed those warnings.</p><p>“You are, however, a traveler. A combatant. Someone who can live and breathe conflict. You thrive when challenged, yet you always wish to better the lives of those around you. Even if your powers are of Death, the remainder of your nature is what we look for in an Azem.</p><p>“If you accept, we will leave this weekend so that I can train you for your trials.”</p><p>“This weekend? But I…” Helios struggled with herself a moment, then narrowed her eyes at Azem. “Can our departure wait a day? I would rather not disappear on Hades and Hythlodaeus the day we had made plans to visit the theatre.”</p><p>Azem stroked his chin, considering it. “Can you keep this offer from them?”</p><p>“I can.” Helios nodded.</p><p>“Then we can wait a day.” Azem smiled. “I daresay I know as well as you how they would react if you didn’t show up to a prior engagement. …you accept, then?”</p><p>Helios nodded. “If you truly believe that I would make a good Azem, I see no reason to doubt your judgment—and it would be an honor to serve the Convocation.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>“Have you found her?” Hades asked, meeting with Hythlodaeus at the entrance to Achora Heights.</p><p>Hythlodaeus shook his head. “Not a trace of her soul remains in the city. She must have left without saying anything.”</p><p>“Why would she…” Hades sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. “Perhaps I was too harsh with her during our last sparring session?”</p><p>“She <em>won</em>,” Hythlodaeus pointed out. “No, something else must be afoot. Perhaps she wasn’t <em>allowed</em> to say anything?”</p><p>Hades frowned slightly. “…you think she may have been taken somewhere to assist the Telophoroi again?”</p><p>“They do seem to be finding more and more trouble as of late. I would imagine they wish to keep it quiet and avoid panic.”</p><p><em>No…this is something else. I just know it.</em> Hades sighed, his heart clenching. “I wish she had at least told us she may be gone for a while.”</p><p>“As do I, my friend, as do I.”</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Chapter 35</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Five</h1><p> </p><p>“Really, I do wonder if Igeyorhm and Loghrif had too much influence on you,” Lahabrea remarked, turning Helios’s proposed mask design around in his fingers, studying the almost demonic black mask with curiosity. “However, I see nothing wrong if this is what you wish to use.”</p><p>“It is.” Helios nodded to him.</p><p>Lahabrea handed the mask back to her. “Then there is one last matter to discuss. We wish for you to work alone as much as possible. Emet-Selch will be needed here in the capitol, even once he has found his replacement—and we can’t have you pulling civilians into Azem’s affairs. Understood?”</p><p>Helios narrowed her eyes at that. “…what if the situation <em>requires</em> Emet-Selch’s expertise?”</p><p>“That is another matter, of course,” Lahabrea answered with a knowing smile. “You are powerful on your own, <em>Azem</em>. You needn’t call on others for every nagging task.”</p><p>“I understand,” Helios murmured, nodding once. Internally, she had already begun to seek out loopholes. Hunting was always more fun with company. “What now?”</p><p>“Why don’t you make an appearance at the Words of Azem today?” Igeyorhm suggested with an amused smile. “It would do them well to see how the new Azem handles such lessons.”</p><p>The rest of the Convocation nodded, and so Helios bowed her head, donned her new mask, and made her way out of the capitol, her feet tracing the familiar path to Akadaemia Anyder—a place she hadn’t been to for months now.</p><p>She sighed inwardly. Soon, she would need to seek out Hades and Hythlodaeus to explain the situation to them.</p><p><em>…of course.</em> Helios grimaced at the door leading into the Words of Azem, sensing one distinct vibration in the aether on the other side. <em>Igeyorhm, you scheming bitch.</em></p><p>Resigned, Helios pulled open the doors, interrupting the demonstration a newer Telophoroi recruit had been giving. Spotting her black mask, the young man swiftly stopped everything he was doing to bow in respect.</p><p>“Most radiant Azem, I was not informed you had returned,” the recruit offered as he straightened. “Will you be taking over the day’s classes?”</p><p>“That I will,” Helios answered, before flourishing one hand and summoning a spear of light, sending it lancing through a specimen’s neck. The students gasped in horror as the creature dropped dead. Helios turned to face her class, her eyes narrowing behind her mask. “Who here knows what manner of creature that was?”</p><p>“Why, I believe I might, <em>Azem</em>,” Hades remarked in a dangerous tone, his hand raised.</p><p><em>Of course.</em> Helios withheld a sigh and turned to fully face him. “Go ahead, Hades.”</p><p>“It is an undead, chimeric monstrosity made through unnatural means from the corpses of multiple animals,” Hades answered, gracefully crossing one leg over the other, his cheek propped against his fist. “Meaning that your strike didn’t actually kill it.”</p><p><em>If he thinks that demeanor is intimidating…it isn’t.</em> Helios nodded her head. “Precisely. Upon first glance, it may appear living, but it isn’t. It is an unnatural, malformed, <em>pitiful</em> creature that should be put out of its misery. Alas, it is here so that you, my dear students, can learn to differentiate between natural life, sanctioned creations, and abominations.”</p><p>Over the next several hours, Helios dutifully carried out the task of instructing at the Akadaemia. Once finished, she left to wander the streets and head vaguely in the direction of Achora Heights.</p><p>As she suspected, it wasn’t long before Hades stepped out of the shadows to her left and backed her into a wall, his arm above her head.</p><p>“Do you have <em>any</em> idea how worried we were?” Hades demanded, his golden eyes afire with poorly contained rage. “Disappearing without a word, every trace of your soul expunged from the city, and not a person would tell us where you had gone!”</p><p>“Sworn to secrecy,” Helios pointed out when Hades finally stopped to inhale. He bared his teeth in a scowl, but waited for her to continue, “The previous Azem wanted to leave a day earlier, but he let me attend the play with you and Hythlodaeus first. We figured it would be much worse if I disappeared then.”</p><p>Hades’s eye twitched. “I tire of people forcing you to keep secrets from me, to lie to me. How long do you intend to perpetuate this—”</p><p>“Hades,” Helios began, stepping into him, close enough that their torsos were nearly pressed together, “I’m a member of the Convocation now and there are rules I must abide by. Some of which, we can discuss back at my apartment. The rest, I must keep to myself as it’s only to be discussed among fellow members of the Convocation.”</p><p>“…your apartment, then?” Hades asked begrudgingly.</p><p>At that, Helios smiled. “Achora Heights, or shall we see what ridiculousness they’ve given me in the capitol building?”</p><p>“You haven’t looked yet?” Hades raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“I arrived in Amaurot an hour before my meeting with the Convocation, then went straight to the Akadaemia,” Helios answered dryly. “And before you ask, no. I haven’t slept in three days. Shall we be going?”</p><p>Hades sighed heavily and pressed his fingers to his temples. “Why <em>certainly</em>, most radiant Azem.”</p><p>“Ugh.” Helios grimaced. “Hearing you call me that doesn’t sound right at all.”</p><p>He laughed bitterly at that. “And what does, pray tell?”</p><p><em>My beautiful monster is always a good option,</em> Helios thought, then shook her head. “Any of the usual…though I suppose ‘tradition’ and ‘etiquette’ are troublesome as ever.”</p><p><em>‘Helios,’</em> the whisper sent a shiver down her spine. <em>‘You’re favoring your right arm. What have you done now?’</em></p><p><em>‘Observant as ever, I see,’</em> Helios deflected as they entered the capitol. She walked over to the receptionist, who stood to pay their respects. “I believe you have the key and information for my apartment?”</p><p>“Of course, radiant Azem,” they answered, swiftly flipping through their files. Then, they offered Helios an envelope. “Everything you need is in there. Your guest will be joining you?”</p><p>“Yes, we have a few months of catching up to do, given he wasn’t privy to the reason for my departure,” Helios answered, turning away from the front desk, and heading for an elevator.</p><p>Hades followed in silence until they reached Helios’s new apartment, then promptly pulled down his hood and discarded his mask the moment they were through the door. “Show me your arm, and do not dare argue about it.”</p><p>Helios laughed at that, shaking her head in disbelief, then swiftly pulled her robes over her head, revealing rather plain clothes beneath—and a thoroughly bandaged arm.</p><p>“Shall we see if there’s a medical kit in here somewhere?” Helios started to walk past him, but he brought his hands up to her face stopping her, and carefully pulled off her mask.</p><p>“I missed you. Promise me that, next time you must leave the city, you will endeavor to let me know. I don’t require details beyond that, just… I need to know that nothing happened to you <em>in</em> the city.” Hades searched her eyes, his expression a tad lost. “I feared that someone might have…”</p><p>“Here? In Amaurot?” Helios questioned, her eyebrow arching. “Where crime is nonexistent?”</p><p>Hades gave her a small smile at that. “No one told you of the latest trouble, I see. Let me tend to your arm. I can regale you about that lunatic during…but first, I would like you to answer my request.”</p><p>Helios nodded, smiling brightly at him. “Unless I’m sworn to utter silence, I will keep you informed of my departures.”</p><p>“<em>And</em> returns. Honestly. You forget our telepathy <em>every time.” </em>Hades nudged her deeper into the apartment with a sigh.</p><p>“Well…admittedly, I worry that I might intrude while you’re with a date,” Helios remarked, shaking her head as she began to search the cabinets for a medical kit. “You and Hythlodaeus grow more popular by the year, I swear. It would be terribly awkward if I disturbed any…uh…‘intimate moments.’”</p><p>“Can you <em>honestly</em> see me dating?” Hades exclaimed in disbelief.</p><p>Helios glanced over her shoulder at him. “Yes? Well, if you found an intellectual, aetheric, and physical equal. You’ve always been quite discerning.”</p><p>Hades rolled his eyes. “Much like you, I find the concept rather frivolous. It boggles the mind to see how much time, effort, and money Hythlodaeus puts into these dates of his. Why, it’s only become worse with his role as Chief of the Bureau of the Architect.”</p><p>Helios grimaced. “Spare me, I <em>really</em> do not want to know. He may have excellent taste in friends—us—but he has <em>terrible</em> taste in lovers.”</p><p>“On that matter, we are in agreement.” Hades laughed, before taking a seat and becoming to Helios. “Let me see your arm. I will simply create supplies, should I need them.”</p><p>“Fine, fine,” Helios relented, sitting beside Hades, permitting him to unravel the hastily laid bandages.</p><p>“…what in the world did you fight?”</p><p>“I <em>really</em> wish I could tell you. It was utterly absurd.” Helios huffed in annoyance. “Needless to say, its… Remind me, the hooks on an octopus’s tentacles—are those classified as fangs or claws?”</p><p>“Teeth.”</p><p>“Right. So, that thing’s teeth made a real mess of my arm. To add insult to injury, it was dead when it did so. Apparently, these creatures have aetherically sensitive nerves and are prone to twitching violently when…ngggh… H-hey, that stings.” Helios winced, her gaze drifting over to see Hades’s face buried in her bloodied arm. It had been so long, it took her a moment to remember that he could derive enhanced power from her blood.</p><p>Now, however, she sensed his hunger. The way in which her blood called to him, luring her in. She watched him in silence and waited a moment. Sure enough, hungered golden eyes soon met her gaze.</p><p>Sighing, Helios reached out with her good hand and swiped her thumb across his cheek. “Messy.”</p><p>Something flickered in his gaze as the colors of the Underworld bled into his irises. His senses seeming to return. “What was I…?”</p><p>“Do I taste good at least?” Helios smirked, waiting for him to properly register the taste of her blood in his mouth.</p><p>Hades’s eyes widened slightly. “Did I…? I should apologize. That was terribly—”</p><p>“I imagine there must have been a reason for it, you’ve never lost yourself around my blood before,” Helios interjected calmly, then gave him a teasing smile. “I would recommend you go wash your face before it dries in place. There was a bathroom in the hallway.”</p><p>Hades flushed and averted his gaze. “…I will return moment.”</p><p>Upon returning, Hades held out his hand for her arm, and she promptly obliged.</p><p>“Now then, what were we discussing?” Helios murmured.</p><p>“Something about a tentacled monstrosity you can’t give me further details of,” Hades answered with a faint shake of his head. “Once I’ve cleaned your wounds, I’ll heal you. We shouldn’t need to call upon Hythlodaeus for this.”</p><p>“Speaking of which… why were you at the Akadaemia today? I thought you would be focusing on finding a place within Amaurotine society.” Helios gave Hades a through looking-over, studying his body language for anything amiss.</p><p>“My talents are…niche. As such, I opted to take additional courses while I search for a job,” Hades answered with a slight grimace. “I struggle with the atmosphere of performance troupes, and solitary performers of any kind do not garner much attention. Nor do any of the establishments who require my abilities have openings in their rosters.”</p><p>Helios raised an eyebrow at that. “Perhaps you should join us in the Telophoroi for a time? I’m sure you would rather nap, but—”</p><p>“It would be something to <em>do</em>,” Hades admitted, giving her a small smile. “I will consider it. After all we have been through, I know that if anyone will accept me as I am—it is you. It appears you are the only person in this city who both truly understands me <em>and</em> can contend with my unfiltered personality. “</p><p>“I may want to slap you sometimes. Just a little bit,” Helios began with a smirk, “but I haven’t forgotten we’re opposing sides of the same force. Why, I don’t think I could name a more suitable pair to deal with the manner of trouble you and I find.”</p><p>He scoffed. “Slap me? You can hardly reach.”</p><p>Helios arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tempt me to improvise. But enough of that. What was this about a lunatic in Amaurot?”</p><p>“Why don’t I let you <em>sleep</em> first?” Hades suggested. “I know you. The moment I tell you, you’ll be on your feet and working for the next several weeks. You will run yourself more ragged than you already are.”</p><p>“If your head was as noisy as mine, you would rarely sleep,” Helios grumbled defensively. “And, I haven’t even decided if I’m staying here or at Achora Heights tonight. So— Hey! Put me down!”</p><p>“If you do not take care of yourself, I will do it for your—even if I must risk ‘censure’ in doing so,” Hades informed her, carrying her straight into the bedroom, then setting her by the en suite bathroom. “Bathe, change, then <em>rest</em>. I saw a guest room across the way—I will remain there tonight if you’ve no objections.”</p><p>Helios glared and pouted up at him, having little effect other than to make him smile. “I’m fine, I can stay awake a few more—”</p><p>Hades slid a finger under her chin and tilted her head up further, surprising her into silence. “If you do not cooperate, I will bathe you myself and take your slumber into my own hands. <em>Now go</em>. I will be in the guest room, should you need me.”</p><p>Satisfied by her inability to reply, Hades turned and left, closing the door to Helios’s room behind him. Then, he checked every window, door, and room in the apartment to make certain it was safe. Once certain, he retreated to the guest room and slumped back against the door with a heavy sigh.</p><p>Helios, his beautiful monster, had become the next Azem. Yet it was Hythlodaeus the Convocation had tried to acquire for the seat of Emet-Selch. <em>Why</em>? His connection to Helios had always been deeper, more meaningful. They <em>knew</em> that. How was he to keep her safe with the <em>Convocation</em> standing between them? He released a pained sigh. The least he could do was linger by her side and make certain Amaurot’s newest horror didn’t tear Helios apart.</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Chapter 36</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Six</h1><p> </p><p>Helios awoke hungry and grumpy to the smell of sweet food cooking. Without thinking, she made a quick visit to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, pulled her hair into a messy bun, then walked out into the main apartment.</p><p>“…for the love of… Helios, have you no shame?” Hades glanced away upon spotting his friend in naught but her very see-through black lace bra and panties. A snap of his fingers, and a closed robe appeared around her.</p><p>“I’m <em>starving</em>,” Helios complained, taking a seat at the bar and promptly laying the top half of her torso on it in protest. “How long was I asleep?”</p><p>“A day. I informed the Convocation of your exhausted state and they agreed to let you sleep,” Hades mused, giving her a crooked smile. “Breakfast will be done shortly. I sensed you were finally beginning to awaken and thought you might appreciate a homecooked meal.”</p><p>Helios flushed and glanced away. “Yes…thank you… You remembered I prefer homecooked meals?”</p><p>“I make it a point to remember whatever information you deign to disclose about yourself, yes,” Hades answered as he turned back to his task. “Given your resistance to ‘inflicting’ your life’s memories on me, I will simply have to hold onto whatever it is you choose to let me know.”</p><p>Helios sighed at that. “Yes, well, I’m sure you’ll be able to find the auracite chronicling my life if you need it. Though, I’d rather you <em>didn’t</em> learn of all the thoughts that used to go through my head.”</p><p>Hades plated their food, put one plate in front of Helios, and then slid a cup of tea before her as well. “All it would change is that I would understand you—and your past actions—better. However, unless I deem it necessary, I promise not to go looking.”</p><p>Helios peered at him. Technically, he could choose any number of reasons for it to be ‘necessary.’ Finally, she shrugged and sat up, reaching for her tea. “So, are you going to tell me about this ‘lunatic’ and why they have you so paranoid that you stayed with me all this time?”</p><p>“Ah, how embarrassing—you caught me,” Hades remarked dramatically, eliciting a laugh from Helios. “If you must know, someone—or something—has been murdering and maiming civilians. I requested permission to accompany you on your investigation, as my soul sight will be a valuable asset.”</p><p>“You’ll join me?” Helios asked, unable to mask her excitement. “Excellent! Why don’t we get started after breakfast, then? You can tell me all that you know and—”</p><p>“That was the plan, yes,” Hades answered, a crooked smile on his lips. Internally, his heart soared in response to Helios’s genuine excitement. For him, it was much-needed confirmation that, again, she had no intention of abandoning him. Quite the opposite, in fact.</p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Chapter 37</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Seven</h1><p> </p><p>Helios strode into the Telophoroi’s headquarters, Hades at her side. An aide promptly rushed over with a stack of reports, offering them to Helios.</p><p>“Four more bodies have been found, but they have been dead for some time,” the aide spoke hurriedly as Helios looked through the reports.</p><p>“Hades and I will be visiting each of the crime scenes. Get me a list.” Helios handed the papers back to the surprised aide.</p><p>“I would also like to see the evidence first,” Hades stated, turning to look down at Helios. He smiled slightly and reminded himself, <em>…Azem.</em></p><p>“Radiant Azem, a civilian shouldn’t…” the aide murmured nervously.</p><p>“Hades has been my hunting partner for years and his soul sight will be of immense help to us in tracking down this <em>beast</em>,” Helios promptly lectured, her arms crossing over her stomach as she spoke. “In fact, add Hades to our list of consultants. He may even choose to join us in time.”</p><p>“If you are going to consider me as a consultant, then you should add Hythlodaeus to that list as well,” Hades remarked against his better judgment. As much as he wished for her to rely on him alone…he couldn’t deny that Hythlodaeus’s soul sight was stronger.</p><p>“H-how shall I classify them, radiant Azem?” The aide inquired.</p><p>“Hades is an expert in the soul, the Underworld, life, and has keen soul sight,” Helios answered promptly. “Hythlodaeus has keen soul sight as well and is Chief of the Bureau of the Architect.</p><p>“Now then, who is getting me that list?”</p><p>A recruit hurried over, bowed, and offered Helios two sheets of paper. “Here, radiant Azem. Will you be taking any officers with you?”</p><p>“Not my style, I’m afraid,” Helios chuckled, before casting her gaze to the handful of Telophoroi who were waiting for orders. “Continue your investigations. I will return with my own observations ere long.”</p><p>With that, Helios turned on her heel and swept out of the building, leaving Hades to follow her. Despite her smaller stature, her brisk pace forced Hades to jog momentarily to catch up. He studied her a moment, noting the clench of her jaw and her fierce gaze.</p><p>“You wish to draw your own conclusions first?” Hades questioned, crossing his arms in his sleeves as he accompanied the quietly fuming…Azem. He sighed inwardly. It would take an age for him to get used to <em>that</em>.</p><p>“I’ve worked with them enough to know they jump to conclusions too swiftly, and often incorrectly.” Helios shook her head, then looked to the paper in her hands. “This matter, we can resolve quicker on our own. I can amend the Telophoroi’s efficiency once there’s no longer a third beast roaming the city.”</p><p>“A third…?” Hades trailed off into a disbelieving laugh. “You are lucky you’re so charming.”</p><p>“As are you.” Helios smirked at him, before turning with a flourish. She led Hades to an isolated path and downward, finding a walkway along the ocean’s surface. She referenced her paper again, lips pulling into a frown.</p><p>“Whatever is the matter, Azem? Has the Traveler forgotten how to read a map?” Hades quipped, smirking as she huffed in reply.</p><p>“This <em>should</em> be the location of the most recent murder. I simply find it strange the body wasn’t dumped in the ocean.” Helios put the piece of paper away, then surveyed the ground around them, soon finding the discoloration left by the Telophoroi attempting to clean the bloodstains. “There, that’s where the body was. Do you see anything?”</p><p>Hades shrugged to himself and stepped forward, studying the area for traces of soul colors that didn’t match those of the Telophoroi. A faint frown formed on his face as he searched. “I see only traces left by the Telophoroi. Something else <em>feels</em> amiss.”</p><p>“You notice it as well?” Helios murmured, tilting her head to the side. She struggled with herself a moment, then stepped forward and gripped Hades’s sleeve. “Then empower yourself and see what else is here. Clearly there is something.”</p><p>Hades’s hesitated, then glanced down at her, his lips pulled into a frown. “Are you certain that is acceptable practice, <em>Azem</em>?”</p><p>Helios’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressing together in frustration. “Must you call me that? We’re alone.”</p><p>“I have to grow accustomed to your new title somehow.” Hades chuckled, lifting a hand, and gently tapping the underside of Helios’s chin. “We may be alone for the moment, but it won’t be long before some gossip or another comes to see what is going on, and it would not be good for either of us if we were overheard being overly familiar.”</p><p>Helios scoffed. “Have you <em>any</em> idea how smug you sound when you know you’re right?”</p><p>“I do, and you love it.” Hades grinned, grasping one of Helios’s hands and bringing it up to his lips. “Now then. I would rather not cause you unnecessary harm. Have you a less barbaric method for drawing your blood, or…?”</p><p>“I’m afraid not.” Helios conjured a knife and tried to reclaim her hand, but Hades narrowed his eyes at her. Sighing, she asked, “<em>What</em>?”</p><p>“To say your willingness to bleed for me is troubling would be putting it lightly,” Hades answered quietly, his expression pained. “There must be a better way.”</p><p>“We can figure that out later. For now, we have a job to do,” Helios reminded him, pulling her hand out of his grip. She raised the knife, but Hades stopped her <em>again</em> and she gave him an impatient look.</p><p><em>‘We have company.’</em> Hades’s gaze flicked to the side, eliciting a sigh from Helios as she folded the knife and dropped it into her pocket. <em>‘I’m certain you can send them away, oh radiant Azem.’</em></p><p><em>‘That’s enough sass out of you for the moment.’</em> Helios gave the front of his robes a sharp yank, then turned her attention to the group of approaching citizens. “I must ask that you take a different route to your destination. We are investigating the most recent crime in our fair city.”</p><p>“A-ah… The young ones favored by the Underworld…” one of them muttered in disgust, earning a sharp elbow from their companion.</p><p>A small, sadistic smile spread across Helios’s lips. “Why, did I just hear someone volunteer to help us if another corpse is found?”</p><p>“I apologize for her rudeness, most radiant Azem,” one of the men stated, stepping forward and bowing, his cheeks flushed. “And might I say, how radiant you <em>are</em> this day.”</p><p>Helios crossed her arms. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Now, I have an investigation to see to so that there <em>are</em> no more corpses. Do as I asked and take a different route.”</p><p>“Bah! Investigating something that was likely your own doing?” The first one let out a bitter laugh. “Spare us. Those chosen by the Underworld rarely ever—”</p><p>The group collectively flinched back when shadows erupted around Helios, dozens of eyes snapping open within it to stare at them. Tendrils of power spread out across the floor, but Helios’s expression maintained a deadly calm.</p><p>“If you continue to challenge me, I will detain you as suspects in our investigation. Well-meaning citizens should have no reason to interfere in the Convocation—and especially Azem’s—work.” Helios’s voice warped with power, pinpoints of light beginning to drift around her. “Do not make me repeat myself.”</p><p>The group fled, and Helios heaved an immensely annoyed sigh, her arms crossing as she reabsorbed her power. Then, she pivoted, pulling her knife from her pocket, and flicked the tip across the underside of her wrist. “I am out of patience. Let us get this over with so we can move on to the next scene.”</p><p>“Must you draw <em>my</em> ire when your patience is lost?” Hades growled at her. Catching her wrist, he pulled it up and pressed his mouth to the wound, settling a begrudging glare on her as she did so…until he noticed the flush in her cheeks and the fascination with which she watched him. Noting the opportunity for revenge, Hades met her eyes and rolled his tongue over the wound, watching as her face promptly turned crimson and she turned her head to look away entirely.</p><p>“Well?” Helios grumbled.</p><p>“You are <em>delicious</em>,” Hades answered, leaning closer.</p><p>“You know that isn’t what I meant!” Helios exclaimed hotly, bristling as Hades made a show of running his tongue over her wrist one last time. “C-can you focus, please?”</p><p>“My focus is just fine.” Hades pulled her just a bit closer. “Yours, however…”</p><p>Helios let out a frustrated noise and dispersed into shadows, fleeing several yalms away from the troublesome man. Reappearing, she crossed her arms and huffed, heart racing. Some days, Hades was simply <em>not</em> good for her health or her sanity.</p><p>“Hmm, how troublesome…” Hades remarked, drawing Helios’s begrudging gaze. “You have checked with your danger sight, have you not?”</p><p>“Of course,” Helios answered, edging closer but making certain to stay out of reach. “I see no threats in the city.”</p><p>“Then perhaps it is time to see how <em>my</em> blood enhances your powers.” Hades pivoted and briskly approached Helios, his eyes narrowed, still glowing with the Underworld’s power.</p><p>Helios took a step back. “Wh-what? No, I—”</p><p>Hades gripped Helios’s chin and pulled her up as he leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers, silencing her with his blood-covered tongue. Before Helios could even think to be flustered, a torrent of power gripped her. Shadows, light, and the Underworld’s aether exploded around her, taking her breath away.</p><p>She quickly pressed a clawed hand against Hades’s chest and pushed him back as she tried to rein the wild aether in. Wings sprouted from her back, horns curling from above her temples. Her darkness threatened to break free and go on the hunt, eager to start with <em>Hades</em>. To devour him and his aether whole, never to be parted again.</p><p><em>Yes, </em>yes!<em> Hunt his aether, become one with it! It is yours for the taking. Suffer no one else to taste it! Bathe in his power, his blood. Dig your claws through flesh and bone!</em></p><p>“L-let’s not… Let’s not…” Helios struggled to get her words out, then snarled, rounding on her own darkness, fangs bared. “Can you be <em>silent</em> so that I can <em>think</em>?”</p><p>Hades bit his lower lip as he watched her, savoring the taste of her. It was as if Helios’s knight form’s aspects had fused with her everyday appearance, yet she remained very much <em>her</em>. His gaze drifted to her unwieldy darkness as she argued with it. After a moment, he shot it a sharp glare—and it promptly settled down.</p><p>Sighing, Helios’s shoulders slumped a moment, then she turned to look at Hades, four pale blue-grey eyes shining from behind her mask, illuminated by a power he had no name for.</p><p>“You’re too bright,” Helios stated after a moment, averting her gaze with a wince. “And I must ask we don’t try enhancing my power again. That was much, much too close.”</p><p>“<em>What</em> was too close?” Hades asked conversationally, strolling toward Helios with his hands tucked into his pockets. “You are going to have to explain if you wish for me to heed such a warning.”</p><p>Helios clenched her jaw. “…that <em>beast</em> wants to tear into you with fang and claw, devour you and your power for itself. I would rather not be subjected to such imagery or…any of <em>that</em> again.”</p><p>“Devour <em>me</em>?” Hades asked, lifting her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. He channeled a modicum of his power toward her, watching as her wings tucked in response and the storm of aether around her shrank back. “I think we both know it is <em>I</em> who will devour <em>you</em> if you press me. Need I put your powers in their place?”</p><p>Helios silently shook her head.</p><p>Hades smirked. “Good. Then get to work.”</p><p>“Right, right,” Helios muttered to herself, swiftly moving away from Hades and moving closer to the scene of the crime, her heart pounding.</p><p>Hades smirked to himself as he studied her, taking in the vibrancy of her soul and the energies that had mingled with it. A power that was at <em>his</em> beck and call, no matter what her rogue darkness seemed to think. He stroked his chin in thought, studying the movement of her aether while she worked. Listened to almost musical sound it made as it drifted around them.</p><p>“That doesn’t seem right…” Helios’s quiet murmur drew his attention to her scarlet lips for a moment, but he swiftly refocused his attention and moved to join her.</p><p>“What is it?” Hades ran his fingertips along the ridge of Helios’s left wing, startling her into turning and peering up at him, her cheeks flushed, and her arms tucked up against her chest. His lips quirked into smirk. “Are you still struggling, my dear?”</p><p>Helios clenched her teeth and took a deep breath, then turned to look at the crime scene once more. “I don’t think we’re looking at a <em>person</em> as the culprit. Rather, I think we may be looking at an aetheric creation that has gone rogue.”</p><p>“Show me,” Hades stated, offering Helios a hand.</p><p>“…fine.” Helios dispersed and joined with him, her darkness clawing at their combined form like a beast trying to break free of its cage. With practiced ease, Hades subdued her feral power and then focused their gaze on what had drawn Helios’s displeasure.</p><p>Aether he could only describe as <em>charred</em> permeated the area, seeping into every surface and seeking to alter it. The arcane trail passed through objects as if the owner had simply walked through them. It reverberated at a frequency that Helios associated with arcane entities—and the sound that met his ears told him much the same.</p><p>And, finally, Helios’s danger sight tinged every ilm of the residue in red.</p><p>Hades stepped out of their transformation, lost in thought, and studied the discolored stone beneath their feet. Then, he glanced over his shoulder when he sensed Helios’s aether shudder. It took a moment, then she returned to her usual countenance.</p><p>“We should go check all the other locations before I make a report,” Helios stated, adjusting her crumpled sleeves. “If we’re dealing with an arcane entity, I may have to involve the Words of Lahabrea to contend with it.”</p><p>“Regardless the result, we should hurry before it finds yet another victim.” Hades nodded, taking several long strides and closing the distance to his companion. “Now that we know what to look for, I imagine this will go by quickly.”</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Chapter 38</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Eight</h1><p> </p><p>“I tell you not to involve others, then you proceed to involve Hades <em>on your very first case</em>?!” Lahabrea ranted, as he had been for what felt like an hour to Helios. “We’re thankful you put this problem to rest, of course, but when I said to work on your own—”</p><p>“His abilities were necessary,” Helios interjected simply. “Hades has both keen soul sight and a deep connection to the Underworld—and our abilities are mirrored. Without our…unique…bond, I wouldn’t have been able to <em>see</em> the aetheric residue left by that creature.</p><p>“And, had I involved someone else, they would have been mere fodder for the creature. Hades, at least, is versed in combat. We are near equals in that regard.”</p><p>Lahabrea raised his fingers to rub his temples under his hood. “It is <em>because</em> of his connection to the Underworld that I don’t want him involved. We cannot risk losing someone with his abilities.”</p><p>“Thus, the Underworld made me his guardian,” Helios pointed out, but Lahabrea shook his head. “Now, I have other threats on the list to deal with. So, unless you have more—”</p><p>“<em>Do not involve him</em>,” Lahabrea warned.</p><p>Helios sighed and crossed her arms. “I did say I’m his <em>guardian</em>, did I not? I’ve no intention of ‘involving’ him unless it is a task for the Lord of the Underworld himself—or in the event there is no one better to turn to.”</p><p>Emet-Selch laughed, breaking his silence. “Lahabrea, I’m afraid you will find that our new Azem is more stubborn than you by an order of magnitudes. And it is because of that stubbornness we will see our star thrive.”</p><p>Lahabrea sighed heavily when Igeyorhm placed a hand on his arm. “Very well. Azem, you are dismissed. See to your tasks.”</p><p>Helios stifled her amusement as she left and made her way out of the capitol building. It had been a few weeks since they had resolved the so-called murders in Amaurot, and likewise several weeks since she had seen either Hades or Hythlodaeus. However, it didn’t take long to find them—they were at their usual restaurant.</p><p>“Azem, my friend!” Hythlodaeus spotted her first, breaking into a gleaming smile. “I see you’re looking well. Have you come to join us for dinner, perhaps?”</p><p>“That, and I have a gift for the both of you—as well as some news,” Helios answered before taking the sole empty seat next to Hythlodaeus.</p><p>“News?” Hades’s lips pulled into a small frown. “Let me guess—you are leaving again.”</p><p>“Indeed. I leave tomorrow morning.” Helios nodded. “You did <em>say</em> you wished to know of my comings and goings.”</p><p>Hades huffed and glanced away, though it did little to hide his dissatisfaction. “And this gift of yours?”</p><p>“That, I will show you two after dinner,” Helios answered with a smile. She studied Hades’s profile for a moment, then shrugged to herself and looked to Hythlodaeus. “How fares things for you as of late, Hythlodaeus? It’s been a while since we last spoke.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus shrugged. “Well enough. There have been some rather entertaining concept submissions as of late, though their practicality is questionable at best.”</p><p>“Should I leave you two alone?” Hades asked, glaring them out of the corner of his eyes.</p><p>Helios tilted her head, a blank stare on her face. “Huh? Why? Are you not hungry?”</p><p>“Hm hm hm. I can assure you that I would be quite disappointed if you left, Hades,” Hythlodaeus offered, a scheming smile coming to his face. “If you wish for Helios to sit by you instead, then perhaps you should be a gentleman and make <em>room</em> for her?”</p><p>Helios looked between the two of them in confusion. <em>I don’t get it. Why is Hythlodaeus acting like Hades and I are… Did he hear about that kiss, somehow? I’m certain </em>that<em> was only out of necessity. Hades knew nothing else would work. It won’t…it won’t be happening again.</em></p><p>Shaking off the sadness the thought made her feel, she turned her gaze to their grumpy friend. “Shall I fetch a chair and sit <em>between</em> you instead, if I’m the source of your displeasure?”</p><p>“That isn’t—” Hades sighed heavily as Helios stood up to do precisely as she suggested, and perched at the end of the table, evenly between them. He stole a glance at her while her attention was elsewhere and frowned at the oddly lifeless look in her eyes. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>“Ah… Not that I can talk about, I’m afraid.” Helios slowly shook her head, causing them both to frown at her.</p><p><em>I see. The Convocation is interfering again.</em> Hades hid is scowl in his tea, trying to at least keep Helios from thinking it was her he was angry with. In fact…he could scarcely keep her off his mind for the past several weeks. The softness of her lips, her sweet tongue… But no. Near as he could tell, there was something brewing between Helios and Hythlodaeus—he couldn’t bring himself to get in their way.</p><p>An hour later, the trio left the restaurant and Helios abruptly grabbed their arms, whisking them through the aether and to the interior of an unfamiliar room.</p><p>“What is…?” Hades started, before noting several desks, tables, and numerous <em>expensive</em> instruments. “A workshop?”</p><p>“Our workshop!” Helios answered brightly, twirling around with her arms spread, before taking off her mask and lowering her hood. “I’m more than content with my current apartment, so I decided to use my Convocation allowance for something else—namely, this hidden little niche. You wouldn’t know it, but we are deep beneath Amaurot here.</p><p>“There’s plenty of space for the three of us to work, there’s suites for us each in the event we decide to sleep here, a kitchen, baths…everything we might need, and all away from prying eyes.”</p><p>Hades arched an eyebrow at her. “You would go so far to avoid ‘prying eyes?’”</p><p>“Hades, if I had my way, I’d have built this…I don’t know…as a volcanic lair, or something of the sort.” Helios shrugged.</p><p>“You have outdone yourself!” Hythlodaeus laughed as he sorted through the instruments by one desk. “It appears as though you have already worked on a concept here—the aether tells the tale. Another surprise?”</p><p>“Ah…well…” Helios linked her hands behind her back. “The two of you might recall chastising me for running off all the time on Aeacus—”</p><p>“Might?” Hades rolled his eyes.</p><p>“You’re not the only sarcastic one,” Helios retorted with a smirk. “Additionally, you suggested I find a way to <em>summon</em> you to aid me. It’s taken quite a bit of redesign, but I think I now have the spell to do just that. <em>If</em> summoning the two of you is still something you wish for me to—”</p><p>“Absolutely,” they interrupted in unison.</p><p>Helios gave them a crooked smile. “I thought as much. Given that I must begin my travels abroad, and alone, I figured the two of you would appreciate it if I had some manner of backup plan.</p><p>“However, the spell requires physical anchors. I’ll need to give you each an enchanted item that you can carry on you at all times, and I’m not certain what you would each prefer.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus stroked his chin, studying Helios’s appearance for a moment. Then, he turned to look at Hades. “What do you think, my friend? We already have pendants from her. Rings, perhaps? Ah, or perhaps an earring? You had been contemplating such an addition, had you not?”</p><p>Helios tilted her head, contemplating it. “Hmn, I could create a pair of earrings for myself and link the two of you to one each. Or I could perhaps modify my weapon and armor—I’m not convinced it would be wise for me to wear earrings in combat.”</p><p>“An earring—that is <em>one</em>—will suffice.” Hades crossed his arms.</p><p>Hythlodaeus chuckled. “I will take a bracelet. Why don’t you make yourself a piece to match Hades’s?”</p><p><em>I-Is he implying… Of course he is. He is </em>always<em> implying something.</em> Helios headed to one of the workbenches, flushed, and set to work on creating an earring for Hades and a bangle for Hythlodaeus. Once she was finished, she waved them over. “Will these designs suffice?”</p><p>“Why, they’re perfect,” Hythlodaeus reassured her with a smile. Pushing his pink hair back, he then turned to give Hades a pointed look. “Don’t you agree?”</p><p>“Where is yours?” Hades asked quietly, his eyes seeming to peer straight through Helios.</p><p>“W-well, Hythlodaeus suggested it and you said nothing, so—” Helios looked away, flushing. “If it wouldn’t bother you, then I can make a matching earring.”</p><p>“Then do it,” Hades stated, giving her hair a gentle tug, his lips pulled into an amused smile. “I can wear mine on the left, and you can wear yours on the right. I can think of no better way to subtly display our bond.” He paused and looked over to Hythlodaeus with a smirk. “You have good ideas on occasion, I see.”</p><p>“My! Praise from the Lord of the Underworld himself!” Hythlodaeus teased. “How will I ever surpass this moment? It may well be the height of my career.”</p><p>Helios failed to stifle the giggle, though the smile her friends exchanged went unnoticed by her as she set about her task of creating another earring, then imbuing all three with the necessary magics. Then, they set about the task of piercing Hades’s left ear.</p><p>“With that done, why don’t I take you two on a quick tour of the workshop?” Helios offered, looking between them.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you get some rest before you depart?” Hades inquired, feeling quite torn. He wished to spend more time with her, but he knew better than to keep her from her duties.</p><p>Helios shook her head. “I’m staying here tonight, so I don’t have to worry about traveling back to my other apartments or packing my things. they’re here already.”</p><p>“Then we would love a tour,” Hythlodaeus answered, grinning. “Show us how lost in the details you became.”</p><p>Helios grimaced. “…you know me too well.”</p><p>“I daresay Hades knows you better,” Hythlodaeus remarked suggestively. “Why, with all the gossip—”</p><p>“The gossips also say that you’re dating five of the Convocation members, including both my fathers,” Helios retorted dryly, causing a snort of laughter to escape Hades.</p><p>“Please! I did not need such imagery!” Hades protested.</p><p>Hythlodaeus shrugged and gave them a half smile. “Perhaps they were mistaken, but, given how I never see the two of you interact with others… Ah, though, I imagine you would both attempt to hide your loves from me. Hmmm…”</p><p>Hades and Helios exchanged a confused look, then returned their attention to their friend.</p><p>“I can’t speak for Hades of course, but as the youngest in the capitol building, I am surrounded by <em>no</em> potential…interests.” Helios shook her head faintly. “Those who aren’t already elsewise spoken for seem to worship the ground the Convocation walks on. I find it infuriating.”</p><p>Hades shrugged. “And I would rather be left alone. The other people our age are slowly learning to leave me be.”</p><p>“You two are so <em>boring</em>.” Hythlodaeus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t think I’ve even seen either one of you drunk before.”</p><p>Helios shrugged. “Not my style. Though, I know we all enjoy a drink now and then, so I did stock the kitchen.”</p><p>Biting back the emotions threatening to rise, Helios led the men into the kitchen and swiftly switched gears to giving them the grand tour. She didn’t need either of them to realize that her status as a single woman was…mildly upsetting to her. A reminder that she had begun to develop feelings for someone she believed to be off limits.</p><p>“Really, an open bath?” Hades arched an eyebrow at Helios.</p><p>“Ah! There’s a divider,” Helios answered, realizing that neither of them would wish to see a monster. She promptly moved over to a wall and pulled the contraption in question out, splitting the room in half. “I figured we could leave the room split if you two decide you want to make frequent use of the workshop.”</p><p>“Is that a medical suite I see?” Hythlodaeus inquired, motioning to a door on the far side of the bathroom.</p><p>“W-well, you see…the summoning spell I designed also lets <em>me</em> travel to anchor points—one of you, or to the workshop,” Helios answered nervously. “Since I’ve been ordered to work alone— Ah! You didn’t hear that!”</p><p>Hades studied the worried woman, his expression darkening. <em>Alone</em> as Azem when that role had been intimately tied to that of Emet-Selch for eons? Roles which had acted as partners, perhaps closer than any other in the Convocation? What were they <em>thinking</em>? “No small wonder they would try to keep <em>that</em> a secret. “And so, you are concerned that you may have to prioritize self-preservation.”</p><p>“…yes.” Helios crossed her arms and looked away in discomfort. “I’ve already received multiple lectures for involving others in the ‘murder’ case. As such, I need to tread carefully…”</p><p><em>So that’s why she’s been avoiding me for the past few weeks?</em> Hades wondered, studying his friend. Then, he looked to Hythlodaeus. “Well, I certainly won’t say anything. What of you?”</p><p>“Your secrets are safe with me,” Hythlodaeus mused, a dark glint in his eyes. “Though I don’t much like this idea that they are suddenly altering such an important dynamic.”</p><p>Helios sighed in relief. “Well, at any rate, I figured it best if we had a medical facility here, just in case. If I must retreat from a conflict for any reason, I’ll reappear in the main room we arrived in. There’s several instruments installed to let me alert the two of you in case I need assistance.”</p><p>“What if you need to empower yourself, or I require…?” Hades trailed off when Helios flushed and looked away. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one whose mind kept returning to their second kiss.</p><p>“Alone means alone, and I don’t think I’m allowed to interfere in your work in such a way,” Helios answered, shaking her head, heart pounding in her throat. <em>It was mere necessity. That was all. He’d never kiss me or look at me like that for any reason. I’m a servant of the Underworld, nothing more.</em></p><p>“Helios?” Hythlodaeus’s call jolted her out of her reverie. He smiled knowingly. “You seem tired, my friend. Why don’t you get some rest? I imagine you have a long journey ahead of you.”</p>
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<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Chapter 39</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Thirty-Nine</h1><p> </p><p><em>Filthy creatures.</em> Helios glowered at the countless undead defiling Aeacus’s streets, darkness and light twisting around her body as the horde rushed her. She would excise their existence from the star, from her childhood home.</p><p>The home she had shared with Hades and Hythlodaeus all too briefly. How things may have been different if they hadn’t been forced to evacuate to Amaurot.</p><p>Fury gripped her as she raced forward, tearing into the malformed creatures with every fiber of hatred in her being. Hours turned into days of bloodshed as Helios fought her way across Aeacus, expunging every stain of the corruptive entities.</p><p>Movement caught her eye, drawing her attention to a pack of familiar beasts. Beasts she once nearly died to, yet now seemed to assist in fighting off the undead, despite the potential corruption that could take them too. Helios hesitated a moment, then strode toward the beasts. “Hold still.”</p><p>She extended a hand slowly, reshaping their aether and hers, drawing out the corruption and warding them against it. Dangerous as the animals were, Helios knew Hades would never forgive her if she permitted the remaining natural life on Aeacus to fall to the undead.</p><p>With that task completed, Helios trudged onward to slay the remaining undead. Then, she could see about disposing of the corpses and purifying the island.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Helios stumbled as she appeared in their workshop, covered from head-to-toe in gore and utterly exhausted. She barely registered the sound of a surprised exclamation, or the screech of a chair being pushed back. Her vision blurred, her grip on her claymore going loose as she pitched forward.</p><p>“Helios? What happened to you?” Hades exclaimed, panic rising in his chest. “This much blood—”</p><p>“Not mine,” her tired whisper made his blood run cold. He looked to Hythlodaeus, who soon nodded in confirmation. “…wake me later for lunch…”</p><p>“Wait, what? Helios—” Hythlodaeus protested, but the woman went limp in Hades’s arms. “Her aether is nearly spent. Get her into the bath, then to bed.”</p><p>“But the bath—” Hades started, his heart pounding. “I couldn’t possibly… She would be furious if she learned that I…”</p><p>“Who better than you?” Hythlodaeus countered with a mysterious smile. “I will prepare a few things to help her recover her aether when she awakens. Off with you now.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Some days later, Helios staggered groggily out of her room in search of food, finding Hythlodaeus lurking in the kitchen. He lowered his book and smiled.</p><p>“Tis good to see you awake, my friend. Are you feeling better?” Hythlodaeus studied her aether a moment, then stood to prepare breakfast for her. “Sit down. This shan’t take long.”</p><p>“I imagine this is what a hangover feels like,” Helios muttered, doing as asked. She peered at him for a moment. “What happened after I returned?”</p><p>“I bade Hades bathe you and ferry you to your chambers at once,” Hythlodaeus answered simply. Noticing her expression, he grinned. “What? Not quite how you envisioned revealing yourself to him?”</p><p>“As though I think of such things!” Helios exclaimed defensively.</p><p>“Hm hm hm, yet you are quite fond of him,” Hythlodaeus pointed out with a smile, leaning over the counter to study Helios, head resting in his hand. “In fact, I imagine you have been wishing for him to kiss you again.”</p><p>Helios bared her teeth at Hythlodaeus. “<em>I know my place</em> and it isn’t…that.”</p><p>“But it could be,” Hythlodaeus remarked. “Why, a little scheming from yours truly and I imagine the two of you would never look at another.”</p><p>“Hyth. Stay out of it,” Helios warned, her heart aching as she spoke. “I’m not… I don’t… Just stay out if it.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus chuckled at his pouting friend and gave her a smile. “If you’re still struggling with <em>yourself</em>, then we will have to see to that first.”</p>
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<a name="section0040"><h2>40. Chapter 40</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty</h1><p> </p><p>Lahabrea held his hand over his face in mingled disbelief and agitation as Helios gave her report. He was, admittedly, beginning to regret his decision to isolate her in the role of Azem. Igeyorhm nudged him from the side, giving him a pointed glance.</p><p>“Azem… If you wished to liberate Aeacus, you should have consulted us. You put yourself in grave danger using your abilities in such a way,” Lahabrea spoke calmly and carefully, watching as the young woman’s head tilted in faint confusion.</p><p>“I don’t understand. You mandated that I work alone,” Helios pointed out, torn. She had felt as though she had done something good, yet now it sounded as if…she hadn’t?</p><p>Sensing her unrest, Pashtarot leaned forward in his seat and smiled warmly. “You have done incredibly well, Azem. Even with the Convocation’s combined might we struggled to defend Aeacus, let alone cleanse it.</p><p>“Lahabrea is simply concerned for your wellbeing. Not a one of us wishes to see you burn the candle at both ends, as it were.”</p><p>“…concerned?” Helios murmured the word as if it were foreign to her.</p><p>“Of course!” Emmerololth swiftly agreed. “You are one of our dear companions, we wouldn’t wish to see harm come to you. Pray, call upon us if you wish to undertake such dangerous endeavors.”</p><p>Igeyorhm kicked Lahabrea under the table, but when he said nothing, she spoke for him, “Since you liberated and cleansed Aeacus, we will leave the restoration efforts to you. I imagine full many citizens will wish to return to their homes, and it would be best if you were there to observe for some while.”</p><p>Fandaniel nodded his agreement. “Yes… A keen eye and deft hand will be necessary to make certain the island has truly been reclaimed.”</p><p>A soft sigh escaped Helios. “In that case, I will send the Telophoroi to investigate the other points in the Crown of the Underworld, and take on Aeacus myself. As the islands seem to be connected via the Underworld’s currents, there is a possibility other points in the Crown have been infected.”</p><p>Lahabrea smiled at that, then nodded. “An excellent idea, and a sharp observation. Send word should you need assistance from any one of us.”</p><p>Helios nodded, then left, reaching out hesitantly to Hades as she did so. <em>‘I will be leaving again, I’ve a new task to tackle—restoration of Aeacus, and the return of its people to their homes.’</em></p><p><em>‘How I wish I could join you…’</em> Hades’s tone sent a shiver down her spine. <em>‘You will call on me if you need assistance?’</em></p><p><em>‘I…yes,’</em> Helios hesitated.</p><p>
  <em>‘What is it?’</em>
</p><p>She clenched her jaw. <em>‘…I struggle with how much of my weakness you’ve witnessed. And I… I feel as though it’s already become impossible to accurately relay my thanks for all the assistance you have given me thus far.’</em></p><p>A soft chuckle in reply. <em>‘Live, Helios. Live to gaze upon the stars with me again like we did as children. That will be thanks enough.’</em></p>
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<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Chapter 41</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-One</h1><p> </p><p>Weeks later, Helios stood in the restored Aeacus. Stars burned bright overhead, the sea breeze lifting her hair and robes. One of many peaceful nights, filled with nothing but the sound of waves and of myriad wildlife. The village was asleep, every light snuffed out and plunging Aeacus into near-complete darkness. The comforting blanket of night, luring her to curl up in its embrace.</p><p>Yet, she couldn’t sleep. Something pulled at her, keeping her awake long past when she would have retired. This night, though, neither of her friends would stumble across her. She would remain alone in staring at the stars.</p><p>Of course, it made sense. She was on Aeacus for business, while Hades and Hythlodaeus were in Amaurot. New to the role of Azem as she was, and with its new stipulations, she found herself wishing more than ever that the Convocation would reverse their stance.</p><p>After all, some nights, one needed the company of the familiar.</p><p>Helios frowned and tugged absentmindedly at the earring dangling from her right ear. Calling upon one of them would be as simple as alighting the trinket with her aether. Yet, it was even later for them than it was for Aeacus. Hades, especially, would not be happy to be awoken.</p><p>Hesitating, she instead turned her gaze to the nearby monstrosity she had slain. A former guardian of the Underworld, attacking one of the gateways? Unheard of. Had her ascension to the seat of Azem caused this chaos, or…</p><p>She closed her eyes, concentrating and searching for any further red glows on the island. Nothing.</p><p>After struggling with herself for another few minutes, she wrapped her aether around her earring and charged it, calling out for Hades. If anyone might sense something amiss with the Underworld, it was him.</p><p>To her surprise, his soul answered immediately, brushing softly past hers, before appearing beside her in the flesh. To her surprise, he still wore his mask and robes, indicating he likely hadn’t yet settled down for the night. Perhaps having not even gone home yet.</p><p>“Aeacus? Has the late hour made you sentimental, Helio… <em>Azem</em>?” Hades crossed his arms over his chest.</p><p>“Hardly,” Helios answered, removing her mask and hood, then shooting him a tired smile.</p><p>A frown tugged at his lips, before he followed suit. Helios’s heart skipped a few beats upon seeing his uncovered face, but she quickly pushed the sensation aside. It had merely been a few weeks, after all. And besides, she couldn’t risk her power devouring him too.</p><p>Helios turned away, casting her gaze to the beast she had slain, “I think something is wrong, but I…I am simply not familiar enough with the Underworld to tell. I thought it best that I defer to your expertise.”</p><p>“Is that all?” Hades scoffed to hide the hint of disappointment in his voice. He strode closer but stopped beside Helios instead of continuing to the beast. “You know, Hythlodaeus was offered the seat of Emet-Selch <strong><em>again</em></strong>.”</p><p>“Are you serious?” Helios turned to stare at Hades in disbelief. “That is even more ludicrous than the seat not being offered to me! First, they assign <em>me</em> the seat most associated with life, then they offer <em>him</em>… <em>Again</em>? Unheard of! He doesn’t even have—”</p><p>She cut herself off with a huff before she could say too much. It was true that Hythlodaeus’ soul sight was incredibly acute, but he lacked the most important trait for the role: a deep connection to the Underworld. A connection that <em>Hades</em> had to such a degree, that they had teasingly called him the Lord of the Underworld for <em>years</em>.</p><p>“Helios,” Hades called quietly, cupping her cheek and turning her to look at him. “You’re bleeding.”</p><p>“I…? Oh, this is noth— Nngh! That <em>hurts</em>! Why—?!” She hissed as his fingers dug into her lacerated arm, making her feel faint.</p><p>He narrowed his eyes at her. “You promised us that you wouldn’t let your newfound status cloud your judgment.”</p><p>“I’m not…I just…” She faltered, looking away. “The Convocation expects me to be capable of acting on my own, even once a new Emet-Selch is found. I’m not sure why…but…w-what are…I-I didn’t s-say you could…</p><p>A shudder ran down her spine as Hades’s lips and tongue ran over her bloodied arm. He met Helios’s flustered gaze with a piercing, hungered stare. The familiar blue-green glimmer of the Underworld’s power spreading through his irises. Power radiated from where he had gripped her wrist, her wounds healing in response. He held Helios’s gaze as he ran his tongue one last time over the remaining traced of blood.</p><p>Once he released her, she looked away, thankful for the darkness hiding her burning hot cheeks. Hopefully.</p><p>“What do you see?” Helios asked begrudgingly, trying to calm her racing heart. <em>Why was it only when utilizing such magics he looks at me that way? Has he found another? Hythlodaeus, or one of our former classmates, perhaps? Of course…monster that I am… How silly of me. Of course he feels no attraction toward me. I am simply another beast meant to serve the Lord of the Underworld.</em></p><p>“Nothing appears different about the Underworld,” Hades answered, the proximity of his voice making Helios’s heart ache. “The seal on Aeacus remains intact, meaning this <em>thing</em> came from elsewhere. …though, I do see you had to unleash <em>that</em> power in order to kill it on your lonesome.”</p><p>She glanced away, ashamed. “…I <em>have</em> been instructed to work alone at present…”</p><p>Hades took her face in his hands, a small smile on his lips. “It is a beautiful power, Helios. Yet a taxing one. Next time, <em>call upon m…us</em>. At the very least, one of us should be present to make certain you do not expend your life’s energies.”</p><p><em>There is so, so much more I wish I could call on you for… So much more than trivial battles or…</em> Helios searched his eyes for a moment, finding herself unable to read them, then looked away. The Lord of the Underworld’s loyal hunting hound, she reminded myself, that’s all she was. Doomed to adore him with the entirety of her being…and to no avail.</p><p>“…I’ll be fine,” Helios whispered softly, her heart tearing in two. “But, should I find myself struggling again, I will call upon you for help.”</p>
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<a name="section0042"><h2>42. Chapter 42</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Two</h1><p> </p><p>Years passed in the blink of an eye as Helios traveled the world, quelling numerous conflicts and threats that, in the long run, were so miniscule she had to question why her assistance was needed. …of course, she couldn’t bring herself to leave a cat stranded in a tree, either. No matter how trivial, she buried herself in the work of helping the people, protecting the star, and bringing worldly information back to the Convocation.</p><p>This day, Helios had no work. After delivering her reports, the Convocation had tasked her to <em>rest</em> and cease overworking herself. As such, she had reached out to Hades and Hythlodaeus, agreeing to meet them for lunch.</p><p>She tilted her head faintly when she felt a familiar stirring in the aether, dark tendrils moving through the shadows near her. <em>Why is he coming </em>from<em> the capitol building?</em></p><p>Helios slowed to a stop and pivoted to see, sure enough, Hades was striding down the street behind her, the lower half of his face unreadable. When he drew near, he stopped less than a pace away from her.</p><p>“You were at the capitol?” Helios inquired, looking up to meet his gaze. “Shall we walk together, then?”</p><p>“Your aether is in tatters. What did you <em>do</em>?” Hades inquired with a heavy sigh. He went to reach for her face, then stopped, not wishing to draw the attention of gossips. “Yes, let’s walk together. You can explain to me why you are in such a state.”</p><p>Helios started down the street again, Hades falling into step with her as she answered, “Tatters? I genuinely don’t know what you mean. It’s been several weeks since I last wielded any meaningful amount of aether. The voyage back to Amaurot was long and uneventful.”</p><p>Hades studied her in silence a moment, sensing the truth in her words. Yet, it was as if her darkness had become twisted, growing to loom over the other aspects of her abilities. It lurked like a living thing, coiled to lash out at the nearest threat. Helios’s light, by contrast, appeared nearly spent. “Then, permit me to field a guess.”</p><p>“Certainly?” Helios looked to him curiously, studying the sharp glint in his eyes. <em>Is he…angry or worried? I truly cannot tell.</em></p><p>“In seeing to your tasks as Azem, you have avoided using your darkness when dealing with threats,” Hades began, noting that Helios promptly flushed and looked away. “In your eagerness to keep yourself busy, you’ve spent everything else. That darkness has grown to fill the void left by your spent energies.”</p><p>Helios frowned, bringing a knuckle to her lips as she thought. “…perhaps? I sense nothing amiss. I don’t doubt your observations, but…”</p><p>“Your darkness is untouched.” Hades shook his head at her. “I am only theorizing on the current state of your aether, of course, and I have no suggestions for <em>mending</em> it at present.”</p><p>“There you are, my friends!” Hythlodaeus waved to the pair, then jogged over to join them, his bright green eyes flicking between them. “Shall we go to our usual place?”</p><p>“No, I’ll make us lunch,” Helios answered with a faint shake of her head. “I’m in need of homecooked food. I restocked our kitchen before I went to my meeting with the Convocation.”</p><p>“Shall we, then?” Hades offered Helios a hand.</p><p>Her hearts skipped few beata, but rather than draw suspicion, she accepted, and the trio teleported to their shared workspace. Helios promptly stuffed her darkness down as it reached for her companions, then wordlessly made her way toward the kitchen.</p><p>“Was that…?” Hythlodaeus murmured, leaning toward Hades and keeping his voice low.</p><p>Hades nodded. “Something is amiss.”</p><p>“Helios, dear, why don’t you let us cook for you?” Hythlodaeus called, marching after their friend. Helios glanced back at him, then recoiled slightly at his expression. “Go change into something more comfortable. Enjoy a bath, perhaps?”</p><p>“Are you sure? I—” Helios went silent when Hades likewise shot her a sharp look.</p><p>“It’s been quite some time since we were all together. Let us worry about preparing lunch.” Hades crossed his arms and stared right through Helios.</p><p>“I…okay, okay.” Helios held her hands up placatingly when Hythlodaeus’s expression darkened. “I’ll be along shortly.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus sighed, shaking his head, then looked to Hades. “Well? Aside from your inability to ask her out on a date, what troubles you?”</p><p>“Hythlodaeus, I <em>told</em> you—”</p><p>“Are you going to let her slip through your fingers like so many grains of sand?” Hythlodaeus glowered at his friend. “Or, now that something is amiss, are you scared you might lose her before your relationship has even begun?”</p><p>“Stay out of it, Hythlodaeus.” Hades glared back at him. “She and I… It will not work.”</p><p>At that quiet admission, Hythlodaeus’s eyes narrowed. “Are your visions getting worse?”</p><p>Hades’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I struggle to call them visions. If they are, I fail to comprehend such a world.”</p><p>“Then let us hope they are merely nightmares, my friend,” Hythlodaeus remarked with a comforting smile. “Though if I might offer some advice…perhaps it is time to begin preparing as if they’re not.”</p><p>“You may be right.” Hades frowned slightly. <em>If I can learn what causes such an alteration… Or at the very least a method to contend with it…</em></p><p>A short while later, Helios rejoined the brooding men, her wavy hair damp and pulled up in a loose bun. Rather than get dressed, she had thrown on a pair of pajamas since she knew she was just going to get nagged to sleep.</p><p>“So, Hades, what were you at the capitol for?” Helios inquired, leaning forward against the counter as she watched her friends put the finishing touches on lunch.</p><p>Hades paused to look back at her. “You weren’t aware?”</p><p>“Hmn? No?” Helios’s head tilted faintly.</p><p>“…I was summoned by Emet-Selch. He offered me his seat,” Hades answered, looking away for fear that she might detest the notion.</p><p>“Really? <em>Finally</em>!” Helios exclaimed, causing them to both look at her in surprise. “I <em>told</em> them that skirting around wouldn’t change that you were the best person for the seat! I mean <em>really</em>. You both know what their preferred requirement is, yes?”</p><p><em>…she rarely speaks this much.</em> Hades studied her with suspicion, trying to determine if she was nursing any wounds.</p><p>“A deep connection to the Underworld, if I recall?” Hythlodaeus mused, his gaze shifting to Hades. “Well? Do not keep us in suspense. Did you accept?”</p><p>“…I informed them that I wished to consult with <em>Azem</em> first, even if they wish to keep this ludicrous separation between the two roles,” Hades answered with a huff. He placed a plate of food before Helios, then walked around the counter to sit at her left. “Given how long they have been searching, I must assume they find something dissatisfying about me…though I’m told they hope I can rein in Azem.”</p><p>“…I am not that bad…” Helios sighed dramatically. “Or, if I am, its only <em>because</em> they insist I work alone. But enough of my griping. Of course I would accept you as Emet-Selch. Or did you forget my ‘mad scheme’ from childhood for us to take these roles?”</p><p>“You also thought you would be Emet-Selch, and I Azem,” Hades pointed out with a half-smile.</p><p>“Well, no one saw fit to tell me I was a Black Sun, now did they?” Helios rolled her eyes, then turned to give Hades a mischievous smile. “However, keeping me in line? Lahabrea must be growing tired of lecturing me. I hope you don’t think I’m going to change my ways just because we’re close friends.”</p><p><em>Close…</em> Hades’s chest constricted. How he <em>ached</em> for more. “Going easy on others is not your way—nor is it mine. I will manage. Assuming I pass whatever tests your father has plans for, anyway.”</p><p>“I’m confident you will be fine,” Helios remarked, turning her attention to her food. “How the Convocation will fare with <em>both of us</em> among its ranks, well, that remains to be seen.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus smirked at that. “Hades is much better at feigning professionalism than you are.”</p><p>“That’s true,” Helios mused. “Shouldn’t you let them know you accept…?”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “I wish to think on it a bit longer. Why don’t you regale us with your travels while we eat?”</p><p>“Hm? Alright then.” Helios’s perplexed gaze lingered on Hades for a moment, then she delved into her tales.</p><p>* * *</p><p>A few hours later, it was merely Helios and Hythlodaeus in the workshop. Hades had left on ‘other business,’ and Helios seemed disinclined to sleep. This, Hythlodaeus figured, was the perfect opportunity to lecture her.</p><p>“Helios, when will you tell him?” Hythlodaeus prompted, his tone uncharacteristically stern. “Now that you know he’s being considered for the role of Emet-Selch…do you truly require further proof of your compatibility?”</p><p>Helios sighed. “Hythlodaeus, please. Just because I am Azem, and he may become—”</p><p>“Yet your heart quickens and your aether burns brighter when you speak with him. Why are you so afraid of your attraction?” Hythlodaeus demanded, his expression bordering furious.</p><p>“I…” Helios faltered, taken aback by her friend’s fury. “You won’t like my answer to that, I think.”</p><p>“Answer anyway.”</p><p>“…I am a beast torn free of her cage and scarcely in control of her own power. Were I to lash out at those close to me, I would never forgive myself.”</p><p>Hythlodaeus sighed dramatically and threw his hands in the air. “Chosen for the seat of Azem and still, <em>still</em> you think yourself unworthy of our friendship or any manner of affection? Helios, I will only tell you this once; for you and Hades, there is no one without the other. Your souls, your fates, are inextricably tied.</p><p>“Do not make a choice that leaves either of you alone.”</p>
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<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Chapter 43</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Three</h1><p> </p><p>Helios frowned at the reports in front of her. Requests for aid were appearing all over, speaking of monsters attacking towns and villages. A group of fishermen had come across a small island teeming with the beasts and believed it to be the source of the infestation.</p><p>After directing the Telophoroi to clean up the lesser incidents, Helios packed a few things and headed for the harbor. <em>‘Hades, I’m—’</em></p><p>“Leaving again?” The man in question stepped out of the shadows to her right, catching her off guard. Her darkness hissed, startled, then retreated, intimidated by the chill aura Hades exuded.</p><p>Helios gaze him a small smile. “Yes. I sent the Telophoroi to handle the lesser conflicts, but I’ll need to be present for the main one. I’m about to go charter a ship to take me close.”</p><p>Sighing, Hades crossed his arms in his sleeves and glanced away. Dare he express his disappointment? Tell her that he had accepted the role of Emet-Selch, and that by leaving, she would miss the ceremony? No. No, that was unspeakably selfish. “Let me walk you to the pier, at least.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t want to trouble…” Helios trailed off as Hades pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers. “…Hades?”</p><p><em>Must she say my name like that?</em> Hades shut his eyes momentarily against the torrent of emotion. “I want you to be careful. Your aether is still amiss. I will be quite cross if any harm comes to you.”</p><p>At that, a smile lit her expression, making his heart pound. “Hades, I’ll be as careful as I <em>can</em> be. If something goes awry, I know I can call on you. Ah! C-call on you <em>and</em> Hythlodaeus, I mean! I-it would be foolish of me to—”</p><p>“Helios,” Hades chuckled, watching as he eyes widened slightly upon hearing her name rather than her title. “What matters is that you come home safe, regardless of whom you choose to call upon.”</p><p>“…right.” Helios flushed faintly and glanced away.</p><p>Hades slid an arm behind her back and gently nudged her in the direction of the harbor. “Why don’t we make plans for your return? A visit to the theatre, perhaps? Apparently, there is some comedy or other that Hythlodaeus wishes us to see.”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Leaping away from her foe, Helios scowled when she heard her linkpearl buzz.</p><p><em>Why did I ever agree to trying these damned contraptions? </em>Of all the times for one of her friends to seek her out. If it were Hades, at least, he would know she was not in the city. Were it Hythlodaeus, however… <em>Perhaps I should have told him too. </em></p><p>Resigned, she answered the linkpearl.</p><p><em>“Have you heard the news, Helios?”</em> Hythlodaeus asked before she could even greet him.</p><p>“Hythlodaeus, I’m a little preoccupied—” Helios ducked under the swipe of a massive, rotting paw and countered with an upward slash of her greatsword, barely damaging the monstrosity’s underbelly.</p><p><em>“Oh? Are you not in the city?”</em> Hythlodaeus’ knowing tone made the corner of her eye twitch.</p><p>She considered denying it for a moment, even though he’d see through it, but a resounding roar answered him before she could. Sighing, Helios stated, “No, I’m not in the city right now. Can this wait?”</p><p><em>“I know full well you could have dispatched whatever it is you’re fighting by now,”</em> Hythlodaeus remarked casually, and she could just <em>picture</em> her old friend studying his nails as he spoke. <em>“Or you could have called on us. Ah! Perhaps that would be a good way to celebrate?”</em></p><p>“Celebrate <em>what</em>?” Helios asked, exasperated, conjuring a dark shield around herself. Flames curled over the edges as the three-headed beast breathed fire in her direction.</p><p><em>“Why, our dear friend’s ascension to the seat of the most eminent Emet-Selch, of course!”</em> Hythlodaeus replied delightedly.</p><p><em>I see…</em> A small frown tugged at Helios’s mouth as she and her circled each other. “Has…he not started his duties yet?”</p><p><em>“Whatever is the matter?”</em> Hythlodaeus’ playfulness disappeared. <em>“You’re not </em>jealous<em> are you, Helios?” That’s unlike you.”</em></p><p>“No, no… I’m quite content with the seat of Azem. I think It’s best the two of you see. I’ll try to find an opening to summon you. If Hades… If Emet-Selch is too busy to answer, you and I can dispatch it and report to him later.” Helios shifted into shadows and drifted backward from the beast, feeling the disconcerting gnawing at her core that accompanied too frequent use of darkness. Channeling power down her sword, she bound the beast in place to buy time.</p><p>Concentrating on the focus hidden inside her earring, Helios reached out to her two dearest friends. To her surprise, Hades responded more quickly than Hythlodaeus. His soul brushed intimately against hers before he followed through the spell’s currents, appearing to her left. Seconds later, Hythlodaeus appeared behind them.</p><p>Hades released a sigh of disdain as he glanced down at Helios, his face mostly obscured by his new—very red—mask. Even so, it <em>didn’t</em> obscure the mildly frustrated frown that tugged at his lips. “Why are you doing battle in that form? Had you called on your true power, you wouldn’t have need of—”</p><p>“Good to see you too,” Helios answered dryly, hoisting her sword and balancing it on one shoulder. With a hand thus freed, she motioned toward her struggling opponent. “This seemed like a problem <em>Emet-Selch</em> would wish to know of.”</p><p>His lips pressed into a tight line, jaw tensing, but he humored Helios and followed her motion. “A cerberus…? <em>Why</em> are you fighting—”</p><p>“That wasn’t the only one, it appears.” Hythlodaeus stepped past them, his gaze scanning their surroundings. “Helios, how long have you been fighting here?”</p><p>“Long enough,” she evaded. “I thought this was a symptom of the previous Emet-Selch stepping down, but…”</p><p>Helios raised an eyebrow as Hades pulled the power of the Underworld into himself. Rather than become obedient, the cerberus became <em>more</em> feral. Hades sighed again and extended a clawed hand to her without turning. “You dragged me into this mess, you will help me finish it.”</p><p>“Oh? Is the eminent Emet-Selch asking for help?” Hythlodaeus teased.</p><p>A subtle twitch of the fingers was the only clear reaction Hades gave to that. Helios hesitated a moment, before taking his hand. They had combined their strengths many times over the years. If anyone could keep her darkness in check, it was him, she figured.</p><p><em>‘Calm down,’</em> Hades whispered, attempting to soothe her soul as he lured it deep within himself. <em>‘Focus. Give your power over to me.’</em></p><p>Hesitance. That was unlike her—what was she hiding? When she acquiesced, darkness raged against his grip, claws and fangs bared. Dizzying power, fallen out of her control. Barely kept locked away. Wishing to be free so it could rend flesh and bathe in blood.</p><p>Hades sighed to himself, then focused further, luring Helios’s into slumber. She needn’t be awake for their work, especially not if she was so weakened that she couldn’t even think to control her own powers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Chapter 44</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Four</h1><p> </p><p>Helios awoke with a hiss of pain, flinching in response to a line of stinging fire down her back. Water sloshed as she shied away, turning to bare her fangs at the source of her discomfort.</p><p>It took her a moment to realize she was in the bath. With Hades. And she was nude. “…what, pray tell, is—”</p><p>“You are wounded and Hythlodaeus is cooking dinner. <em>Someone</em> had to tend to your wounds,” Hades answered hotly, raising a blood-soaked cloth. He gave her a sharp glare. “Let me see your back. Once I’ve cleaned and healed your wounds, you can have dinner—then I expect you to go straight to bed.”</p><p>“What of the cerberus?” Helios asked, swallowing her urge to protest. “They— Unnngghh! Can you at least <em>try</em> to be a bit gentler?”</p><p>Hades sighed, his breath tickling her skin. “Or you could cease this obstinance. Such a discovery during your hunt is more than sufficient reason to call for assistance.”</p><p><em>But I… How am I supposed to become strong enough to protect you if I’m always begging for help?</em> Helios pouted slightly as she did her best not to fidget. “Perhaps so, but I didn’t think they would keep appear—”</p><p>Hades shot an apologetic smile at her back when she cut off into colorful curses, her writhing only serving to make it more painful. Deciding to attempt distracting her, he remarked, “Truly, I thought you would be livid to find yourself in this predicament.”</p><p>“What predicament?” Helios glanced over her shoulder at that.</p><p>“Nude, in the bath and alone with me?” Hades offered with a chuckle.</p><p>Helios’s head tilted as she thought. “…hmm, is that strange? I hadn’t really considered it.”</p><p>“…then for what reason did you build a divider in the bath?” Hades asked, though he recognized the look of discomfort on her face as she averted her gaze. <em>Worthiness. Still, you question it?</em></p><p>“Well, I figured that the ‘beast’ should be kept separate from those dear to me. If it did something, I…” Helios shook her head. The mere mention of it made that power swell, seeking prey. And Hades smelled oh-so-delicious.</p><p>“All done. Can you pull yourself out of the bath, or shall I carry you again?” Hades questioned.</p><p>Helios tested her weight, then. grimaced at a wall. “I will need <em>some</em> manner of assistance.”</p><p>A snap of the fingers, and Helios found herself levitated over to a waiting bench. She promptly toweled herself dry, then donned the waiting pajamas. After a moment, she remembered her manners and turned to look up at Hades when she sensed him approaching. “Thank you for responding to my summons and assisting me, by the way—and congratulations on your ascension to the seat of Emet-Selch. By Hythlodaeus’s comments, I assume the Convocation already held the ceremony?”</p><p>“Indeed—and I received a rather troubling lecture. Remain in the city, ‘where it is safe,’ and do not interfere with Azem’s work unless ‘absolutely necessary,’” Hades scoffed as he conjured himself dry clothes. Then, he gave Helios a slightly softer look. “Can you walk?”</p><p>“Were my injuries so terrible?” Helios asked. Then, she felt her head swim in a familiar manner. Bloodloss. “A little assistance would be appreciated, but you needn’t trouble— H-Hades!”</p><p>Helios clung to his shoulders, startled by him suddenly hoisting her into his arms. Without a word, he carried her into the main living area and deposited her in a plush armchair.</p><p>“Relax. You won’t be going anywhere until <em>I</em> declare you recovered,” Hades stated, giving her a warning look.</p><p>“I’ll be fine. I’ve worked in worse—” Helios started to protest.</p><p>Furious, Hades leaned over her and gripped her jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Be that as it may, you no longer outrank me. Gone are the days of sitting idly by and trying to stay out of ‘Azem’s business.’ The Convocation may intend to keep our work separate, but nothing was said about keeping you <em>in line</em>.”</p><p>“B-but I am supposed to protect <em>you</em>!” Helios argued. “I’m—”</p><p>“<em>And who will protect you</em>?!” Hades snarled. “How will you perform this self-assigned duty of yours if you continue so recklessly spending your life’s energies?! <em>I never asked to be protected,</em> or saved, or any such tripe!”</p><p>“As long as you’re safe, then I…” Helios trailed off as Hades’s eyes narrowed, his grip on her jaw making her joints creak. “…Hades, you’re hurting me.”</p><p>Hades hastily released her jaw. “I—”</p><p>“By the heavens!” Hythlodaeus’s furious exclamation made both Hades and Helios freeze in place. Their friend stalked into the room, his aether alight with fury, his gaze sharp. “The two of you are <em>infuriating</em>! Can you not simply express your care and affection like <em>normal</em> people instead of causing emotional and physical harm to each other?!”</p><p>“I…may have gotten carried away…” Hades gingerly moved away from Helios, his heart pounding in his chest. A quick glance revealed his fingertips had left angry red marks on her skin. His heart fell, concern gripping him.</p><p>Helios glanced away from them, her lips pursing as she tried to come up with a response—preferably not the first one that came to her. She knew well enough to not admit that she didn’t mind dying for Hades. “…I’ve been wearing on both of you for decades—your patience, I mean. Of course Hades would—”</p><p>“That is no excuse!” Hythlodaeus snapped, giving Hades a rather strong shove. The shorter man lost his balance and tumbled over the armrest of Helios’s chair landing with his back across her lap.</p><p>Hades glared up at Hythlodaeus in indignation, but a poorly stifled giggle drew his attention upwards to Helios. She quickly tried to hide her laughter, glancing away, her cheeks flushing with color.</p><p>“And what, pray tell, is so amusing?” Hades demanded, crossing his arms.</p><p>“You look like a grumpy housecat!” Helios failed to stifle another laugh. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed Hades’s hair out of his face. Then, she looked to Hythlodaeus. “Well? Are you going to help him up?”</p><p>“I think not.” Hythlodaeus placed his hands on his hips. “You are the eminent Emet-Selch and radiant Azem—and you <em>must</em> be able to get along. Be capable of communication. You can’t simply scrape by on half-thoughts and hanging words.</p><p>“Dinner will be ready in an hour. I suggest you come to agreement by then.”</p><p>With that, Hythlodaeus stalked off, leaving his troubled friends alone in the living room. Helios studied Hades out of the corner of her eyes, noting he refused to look at her.</p><p>“Well?” Helios asked after a moment.</p><p>“…why must you protect me?” Hades asked quietly, refusing to meet her gaze. “Should we not, instead, protect each other? Regardless of these changes the Convocation wishes to make, they can’t simply change our bond—or the history behind our seats.”</p><p>“I don’t know how to explain it,” Helios admitted, half-speaking, half-sighing. Her tone drew Hades’s attention up to her face. “You hear the Underworld on occasion as well, do you not?”</p><p>“That I do,” Hades murmured, reaching his fingers up to Helios’s jaw, his expression contorting with pain. “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have…”</p><p>“My entire life, the Underworld has told me you need protecting. I know not why, just that it is convinced you do.” Helios grasped Hades’s wrist and gently pulled his hand away from her face. “I can’t explain it, but my instincts <em>scream</em> that the Underworld is correct. That something is amiss and could affect both you and the Underworld adversely.”</p><p><em>Visions of a terrible future for me… And these whisperings for her?</em> Hades frowned slightly at that. He couldn’t fathom dealing with such vague, spoken insinuations for decades. It was no wonder she had said nothing. “Be that as it may, I couldn’t bear for someone so dear to me to meet a tragic end, Helios. Protecting each other, I can accept. You giving your all on my behalf, I cannot. These instincts of yours… Is this why you have been away from Amaurot so much?”</p><p>Helios sighed and gave him a crooked smile. “See right through me, do you?”</p><p>“I’ve had a great deal of practice.” Hades smiled softly. “We can’t go against the Convocation’s decision, I know. However, I <em>must</em> ask you to cease being so worryingly reckless. Every time you leave, I…I fear it will be the last time I will see you alive.”</p><p><em>He…cares that deeply?</em> Helios studied him, gripped by surprise. Was her status as a ‘mere’ guard dog all in her head? “I…I can try to rein in my instincts, but you’ve seen for yourself how much of a struggle that is for me. I can’t promise anything other than, ‘I will try.’”</p><p>A peaceful smile spread across his face, making her heart ache. He reached up and flicked her dangling earring, chuckling. “Can you forgive me for my loss of composure?”</p><p>“I already have,” Helios stated sheepishly. Then, she hesitantly rested a hand on his abdomen. “While Hythlodaeus finishes his chosen task…perhaps I should show you what I’ve been working on?”</p><p>“And here I was contemplating a nap,” Hades remarked with a teasing smile. Then, he carefully pulled himself off Helios’s lap and rose to his feet. Turning, he offered Helios a hand. “I am still not confident you can walk on your own. At least permit me to help you.”</p><p>Helios sighed and gave him a pointed, dangerous smile. “You know, anyone else and I would have to get rid of the witness to my weakness.”</p><p>“I consider myself honored that you permit me to witness your ‘weak’ moments, oh radiant Azem.” Hades rolled his eyes and pulled her to her feet. “Truly, Helios, you are the strongest person I know. What you call ‘weakness’ is simply a clear sign of <em>reasonable limits</em>.”</p><p>“Hmmm, then I will have to find some way of transcending those limits,” Helios murmured absentmindedly as she led Hades through their hideout and over to her suite. Once there, she led him into what was <em>supposed</em> to be a sitting room. “Here. I’ve been experimenting with composing music based on my travels, the people I meet, the beasts I’ve fought, and the tales I’ve been told. It helps me organize my thoughts, though I haven’t mustered the courage to share them.”</p><p>Hades studied the numerous crystalline recordings and the complicated contraption Helios had designed years ago. A device capable of pulling music from the mind and rendering it playable with one’s preferred device. Yet, she had always hesitated to share any of her compositions with even him.</p><p>“So many, Helios?” Hades asked, turning his to his skittish friend. <em>…the seat of Azem is beginning to wear on her, isn’t it?</em></p><p>Helios’s lips pulled into a sad smile. “Hades, do you know what I’m supposed to be <em>doing</em> as Azem?”</p><p>Hades fell silent for a moment, contemplating both the legends—and his own training. After a moment, he turned his wary gaze to his dear friend. “…what have you been doing with the souls that are meant to be returned to the Underworld?”</p><p>Helios released a low giggle, then spread her arms wide, indicating their surroundings. “Rather than carry them with me, I’ve bound them to their respective compositions. I know not what has happened, but our predecessors ceased being capable of commanding the Underworld or souls before I was ascended to the seat of Azem. Using my Umbral Light, I put these souls in a dormant state.”</p><p>“…Helios, there are <em>hundreds</em>!” Hades exclaimed after looking around a moment. “How is it possible that you have slain so many…?”</p><p>“Hades,” Helios reached up, cupping his face in both hands, a tired smile on her lips, “I can see into other’s pasts. Witness for myself if they have done terrible things. The worst offenders, the star shows me whether I will it or not.</p><p>“Even in Amaurot, our people are not so good, innocent, and well-meaning as they seem. Behind every heart lurks darkness, the ability for harm… The culture in Amaurot prevents much, of course, but beyond our shores…”</p><p>Hades pulled Helios into his chest, squeezing her tight. It was no wonder she was worn down. Who, in their time, was prepared to end the life of another? Let alone so many? Hard as she pretended to be, no one knew better than he that such a task would weigh heavy on her—and only more so if she’d used her darkness when dealing with any of those problems.</p><p>“We are both too tired to deal with this today. Once we have recovered our strength, I will do my duty,” Hades reassured her, stroking her back with one hand. Alas, she shook her head against his chest.</p><p>“No, no, I have to get back to my work soon. I shouldn’t even <em>be</em> back in Amaurot yet…” Helios murmured, trying to take a step back, but Hades tightened his grip. “Consider yourself invited to deal with these—and listen to my compositions—whenever you get a moment. I’ll be…ugh!”</p><p>Helios winced, bringing a hand up to her head. Hades swiftly caught her when she stumbled, lifting her into his arms.</p><p>“A vision of the past?” Hades inquired.</p><p>“No, no, just a sharp pain…” Helios muttered, shaking off the lingering ache in her skull. She glanced up at him, opened her mouth to protest about being carried, then thought better of it. “…thank you for carrying me. Shall we go to the kitchen, or…?”</p><p>Hades shook his head. “The living room. I will let Hythlodaeus know you would be better served resting there.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. Chapter 45</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Five</h1><p> </p><p><em>What is </em>wrong<em> with me?</em> Helios sighed from her perch, overlooking a ruined valley across the sea from Amaurot. What was once a lush, green landscape with rolling hills and babbling books was now a muddy wasteland, allegedly trampled to oblivion by an uncontrolled population of grazing animals.</p><p>Her head ached, her mind struggling to focus.</p><p>Helios uncurled her hand, concentrating to create a flower…then sighed at the delicate crystal creation that appeared. Resigned, she leaned back on her palms and called to Hades. There was a faint shift, and Helios sighed. <em>Napping, is he? Let’s try again then…</em></p><p>Hades’s soul flooded through her senses, temporarily breaking her concentration. Her power shifted like a predator stalking prey, eager to pounce the Lord of the Underworld. The image of digging her claws into his bare chest, leaving streaks of scarlet filled her mind’s eye.</p><p>Sensing something was amiss, Hades glanced down at Helios with a faint frown, then kneeled and channeled his Umbral Darkness to calm her. He grew still when her gaze shifted to him, filled with bloodlust.</p><p>“Helios, focus. Breathe,” Hades murmured softly, running his fingers through her hair. Noting the crystal flower in hands. He plucked it from her fingers and held it up, studying it, then looked to her again when he sensed her shift.</p><p>“…something is definitely wrong with me…” Helios muttered, lifting a hand to the side of her head. She took a moment to regain herself, then looked up at Hades. “Sorry to wake you.”</p><p>Shrugging, Hades turned to overlook the valley below. “…I admit, this is not quite what I expected when you summoned me. Why, I imagined you may have found some hulking arcane creature and needed our assistance in dealing with it.” Hades paused to glance around. “Though I see Hythlodaeus is not here. Did he not respond to your summons?”</p><p>Helios released a tired sigh. “I just need you, Hades “</p><p><em>Must you say it like that?</em> Hades closed his eyes and shook his head, turning away from her. Then, he looked to the crystal flower in his hands. “Well then, what is it you require my counsel for?”</p><p>Helios carefully got to her feet, though the slight swaying of her frame didn’t go unmissed. She crossed her arms and looked out over the valley. “If we leave this region as-is, it will turn into a desert wasteland and begin to effect the adjoining regions as well. However… I don’t know. Perhaps I am losing my wits, but something feels strange here. Before I take restoration pleas to the Convocation, I wished to consult you for your opinion.”</p><p>“When did you last sleep?” Hades inquired.</p><p>“Mmm…” Helios counted on her fingers, her eyes dull. “…I don’t know. There hasn’t been anywhere safe to sleep.”</p><p>Hades frowned. She was being truthful—but how was that possible? “Why has it not been safe?”</p><p>“Elemental sprites running amok, animals displaced and migrating, struggling to find food to hunt…” Helios shrugged and turned to look up at Hades. “The creatures of this region all migrated in the same direction, for some reason—toward the coast, and away from the metropolis to our north.”</p><p>“I see…” Hades murmured. “And you said something feels amiss?”</p><p>“My danger sight isn’t working…” Helios admitted, earning a surprised stare from her companion. “I’m uncertain if it’s because I’m exhausted, or… Do me a favor? Try to create a rose.”</p><p>Hades obliged, the corners of his mouth turning down when he felt what could only be described as ‘resistance.’ Once he finished the task, he smirked and offered the flower to Helios. “Difficult, but not impossible. You are right that something here is different.”</p><p>“And what of your soul sight?” Helios murmured, accepting the rose and studying it. Though it resonated with Hades’s unique aether signature, she could barely feel it. Had she grown numb even to him, or were her fears true?</p><p>For a long while, Hades was silent. Then, he slowly turned to look down at Helios. “…I cannot see your soul, even so close to you, nor can I hear the Underworld. Shall I try empowering myself next?”</p><p>“See? You don’t even need to read my mind.” Helios let out a quiet laugh. “As I am much too tired to argue with you, how would you prefer to do this?”</p><p>“Let me see your wrist.” Hades offered her his hand, waiting for her to oblige. When she did, he concentrated briefly, causing blood to form in a sphere above her wrist, comparable in size to a small marble.</p><p>“Learned a new trick, have you?” Helios inquired, surprise painting her face. “I didn’t feel a thing.”</p><p>“I’ve been studying some medical techniques, lest you worry.” Hades shot her an amused smirk upon spotting her confusion. “I wouldn’t <em>dream</em> of tasting another, I assure you.”</p><p>“I’m too tired for this…” Helios complained, promptly plopping into a sitting position.</p><p>Hades chuckled deviously, then brought the orb of her blood to his mouth. He waited a moment, then narrowed his eyes. “…nothing? It’s as if the region has become aetherically resistant…”</p><p>“How comforting to know it wasn’t in my head…” Helios sighed in resignation, then looked up to Hades. “Can you send us both back to our workshop? I haven’t the strength…”</p><p><em>…just what am I going to see when I look at her aether? For her to outright </em>ask<em> me for assistance with such a thing…</em> Hades knelt down beside Helios and gave her a comforting smile, offering her the crystal flower she had made. “I will have to carry you. Hold on to your flowers.”</p><p>She obliged, clutching them gently in front of her torso as Hades slid an arm under her knees, and another behind her back. To his immense concern, she fell limp in his arms the moment her head rested against his chest.</p><p>“Helios?” Hades inquired softly. Nothing.</p><p>He concentrated, finding the return point in the workshop, then traveled through it. Upon returning, he hesitated to open his eyes—and what he beheld made his heart stop. Helios’s soul and aether were barely visible. Even her darkness was almost entirely spent.</p><p>Immediately, he activated Flow and teleported them to the capitol building. There, he demanded the Convocation be awoken and summoned to meet. He waited, still carrying Helios in his arms, and soon turned to face the other Convocation members as they filed into the room.</p><p>“You will simply have to forgive my lack of formality, but a hood and mask are the least of my concerns at present,” Hades stated, watching as Lahabrea approached with a deep frown. “Helios’s soul wavers, her aether is nearly spent. We should study both of the flowers she holds, but she will need medical attention before I can make our report.”</p><p>“What in the heavens…?” Lahabrea plucked the two flowers from Helios’s grip, baffled, then handed them off to Halmarut. “See to your preliminary study. I wish to hear your observations prior to Emet-Selch’s report.”</p><p>Pashtarot strode over, accompanied by Deudalaphon. “If you will permit us, we will see her to the capitol’s medical facilities at once. The poor dear is cold…”</p><p>“Please.” Hades struggled to keep the desperation from his voice as Pashtarot took Helios from his arms. He watched in troubled silence as the pair left with <em>his</em> Helios, then released a sigh and looked to Lahabrea. “Shall we wait for the others before I begin?”</p><p>“I apologize! I’m here!” An unfamiliar, youthful voice drew Hades’s attention to the doors. The figure wore white robes and a red mask—when had a new Emissary been chosen? “Was that the Her Radiance, Azem I just passed in the hallway?”</p><p><em>Her Radiance?</em> Hades stifled a chuckle. How she would <em>loathe</em> that form of address.</p><p>Lahabrea shot Hades a knowing look, then turned to nod at their shorter companion. “Yes, Elidibus. Emet-Selch just brought Azem back from far afield—and with grave tidings, it appears. Shall we sit and hear what he has to say?”</p><p>Elidibus’s lips parted in surprise as he turned to look up at Hades, his colorless eyes wide. “Yet, she is your partner, is she not? Surely you would prefer to be with Azem at such a juncture.”</p><p>“…she would be terribly cross with me if I did not first give a report in her behalf.” Hades shook his head slowly.</p><p>“Yet your heart aches to be with her… Perhaps you can give your report—?”</p><p><em>How does he…?</em> Hades clenched his jaw.</p><p>“Elidibus,” Lahabrea interjected with a chuckle, “past Azem’s and Emet-Selch’s have been partners, yes, but—”</p><p>Elidibus sighed in disdain and covered his face in disbelief. “…you <em>separated them</em>? Absurd! It is no wonder Azem is in such a state! I really must insist you undo whatever ridiculous ‘law’ it is you imposed upon them, else there will <em>be</em> no Azem and Emet-Selch in the near future!”</p><p>Hades arched an eyebrow, uncertain whether he should lecture the youth, or thank him for seemingly putting even <em>Lahabrea</em> in his place. After a moment, Hades shrugged. “Heli— Pardon me, <em>Azem</em> was traveling across the sea, investigating mass migrations. She discovered a ruined valley, turned to mud and rock—much as if grazing animals had eaten all the vegetation.</p><p>“However…the region’s aether has been altered in some unfamiliar way. Her danger sight and my soul sight do not work there, and we could scarcely manipulate aether. Something has damaged the natural balance there, and all wildlife has fled southwards. Given how weak Azem appeared, I chose to bring her back to Amaurot instead of traveling to the metropolis near this altered region.</p><p>“Upon arriving, my abilities returned, I saw the state she was in…and came straight here.”</p><p>“Well that you did…” Lahabrea frowned. “Resistant to aetherial manipulation? How very strange. We will need to send teams to investigate…”</p><p>“Azem will need time to recover,” Elidibus stated, turning his attention to Lahabrea. “I looked at her aether myself—she will be bedridden for some while. We should assign someone to lead the Telophoroi in her absence. Fandaniel, perhaps?”</p><p>Lahabrea nodded. “He has few tasks at present, I am sure he would be glad for the distraction.”</p><p>“And of their partnership?” Elidibus prompted.</p><p>Lahabrea hesitated, then sighed and looked to Hades. “…Emet-Selch, consider your seat’s partnership with Azem restored. If she cannot pace herself… You will keep her in line yourself, yes? However, I must ask you do not get drawn into her recklessness. We <em>need</em> you and your abilities.”</p><p>At that, both Hades and Elidibus frowned, but it was the latter who spoke, “Our Azem is needed just as much as our Emet-Selch. They are very gifted, and even more close. I can see why the people of Aeacus refer to them as if they are the reborn rulers of the Underworld.”</p><p>Igeyorhm laughed at the expression Hades made in response, walking over to join the three men. She patted Hades’s arm and gave him an encouraging smile. “Go to her. We will call upon you when Halmarut knows more.”</p><p>“…thank you,” Hades stated softly, before sweeping out of the room and toward the medical wing. To his mild displeasure, Elidibus hurried after him. “Can I help you with something, Emissary?”</p><p>“I wish to study Azem’s aether in closer detail,” Elidibus answered with a boyish grin. “We should determine if the state she is in was caused by her trying to create in such an environment, or if something external sapped her strength. From what I understand, Azem is a hero’s hero. Modest and quiet, yet I haven’t once heard of her refusing to help someone—even for the most trivial of tasks.”</p><p><em>…a hero.</em> Hades’s lips tugged into a frown at the notion. They never had a happy end in any of the stories, legends, or plays he was acquainted with. His chest tightened. “Let us hope she simply tired herself out, as she is wont to do.”</p><p>“This happens often?” Elidibus murmured.</p><p>“An effect of our partnership being severed. She wishes to call upon me—not the Convocation. As such…she instead calls upon no one, until the situation is so dire that she is permitted to call for me.” Hades shook his head faintly. What was he thinking, unloading this information on the newest member of their number? “Forgive me. I shouldn’t burden you with our problems.”</p><p>“No, no, I wish to know!” Elidibus exclaimed. “If there is anything at all that I can do to help, I will! Yours are the seats most important to the health and longevity of the very star. To separate you in such a fashion was a risk at best, and if I can help mend those broken ties…”</p><p>Hades smiled despite himself and nodded to the eager youth. “I must thank you for the assistance you’ve already provided. It puts my mind at ease to know Azem and I will no longer be pushed apart by our own compeers.</p><p>“Now…let us check on how the woman in question is doing.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Chapter 46</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Six</h1><p> </p><p>A meteor falling from the sky, bathing the world in ash and plunging into darkness. But when would that have happened? Helios opened her eyes and peered blearily at her surroundings. It was recognizable as Amaurot…but where?</p><p>She shifted, and everything spun. A curse escaped her as she held her hands over her eyes and willed the room, and her senses, to cease spinning. Then, movement external to her caught her attention.</p><p>“Helios…?” A quiet whisper, full of hope and…some emotion she had no name for.</p><p>Helios shifted her fingers, her senses stabilizing enough to see Hades standing over her bed. “…I am fine, just incredibly, infuriatingly dizzy. Where are we?”</p><p>“The capitol’s medical wing. You were…barely hanging on,” Hades answered reaching out to grasp her hand in his. “I reported to the Convocation on your behalf—you have strict orders to <em>rest</em> until all your aether is restored. You have been asleep for two weeks.”</p><p>“Two…?” Helios sighed, then pouted faintly. “Would you please help me sit up? I think I am too dizzy to do it myself.”</p><p>“Must you sit up?” Hades frowned.</p><p>“I’m hungry and thirsty.”</p><p>“Point taken.” Hades nodded, carefully helping her into a sitting position. Then, he lifted his hands to her face and brushed her hair out of her eyes.</p><p>“Come now, I’m not <em>that</em> weakened…” Helios glanced away.</p><p>Hades chuckled, leaning closer to kiss her forehead. “Let me take care of you. I daresay it will put us <em>both</em> at ease.”</p><p>“Fine, fine…” Helios murmured, unable to bring herself to argue.</p><p>“You seemed distressed before waking,” Hades remarked, moving away to pour her a drink.</p><p>“A vision, I think… I know not from when,” Helios answered, frowning. “A meteor made landfall somewhere near that region, perhaps a bit north of where the metropolis now sits. It was so large that the world’s skies were covered in darkness for a long time.”</p><p>“I recall hearing similar legends during our time at the Akadaemia, but nothing factual,” Hades remarked, carrying the drink over to Helios and offering it to her. “Was there anything else?”</p><p>“I…can’t say for certain,” Helios sighed softly and shook her head. “If the vision was triggered by that region, then I must assume the meteor is somehow related to the phenomenon we encountered. However, you’re going to tell me I can’t return there, aren’t you?”</p><p>At that, a mischievous smile spread across Hades’s lips. “I can be convinced. Our seats have had their partnership restored—you can thank the new Elidibus for that. As such, if you wish to get into trouble…”</p><p>“W-what?” Helios stuttered. “But I… I thought they wished—”</p><p>Hades gripped her chin, a confident smile spreading across his face. “What’s the matter? Do you find me unsatisfactory, Azem?”</p><p>Helios’s face flushed hot, heart pounding. He was so close. If she leaned forward just a little bit…. “Not at all! It just s-seems odd that…”</p><p>“Finish your drink,” Hades mused, running his thumb over her plush lower lip. “I will return shortly with food for you. Then, I really should stop teasing you and make a report instead.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. Chapter 47</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Seven</h1><p> </p><p>Years later…</p><p> </p><p>Helios staggered into the Convocation hall, her armor and sword running with blood. Aides gasped in horror, while Hades immediately went to his feet and rushed to his partner’s side. A cursory examination made it clear the blood wasn’t hers—she was merely exhausted.</p><p>“Azem?” Elidibus exclaimed. “Were you not assisting our neighbors with rumors of rogue creations?”</p><p>“They…they vastly understated the severity of… Ngh…” Helios spit out a mouthful of the foul blood, her aether recoiling in disgust. <em>‘H-Hades… Take over. I’m… I’m going to lose control.’</em></p><p>Hades didn’t need to be asked twice. He took in Helios’s aether, calming and subduing her, coiling his own power around her like a protective blanket. Deep within their combined minds, her soul shuddered with rage over what she had witnessed.</p><p>The Convocation remained silent, permitting Hades the time to search through Helios’s memory and see what had led to this.</p><p><em>“…the metropolis is gone…?”</em> Hades’s stunned whisper left the room in shock. Hurriedly, he conjured an auracite of Helios’s design and poured her memories of the calamity into it. Then, he handed it off to the nearest member. <em>“If you will excuse me, I </em>must<em> calm her.”</em></p><p>“Do as you must, Emet-Selch.” Lahabrea answered before looking down the table to the horrified Emmerololth. “…give it here.”</p><p><em>‘Helios, you are safe now. Calm down,’</em> Hades whispered as he teleported their combined form to an empty island near Amaurot. They separated, and he caught her in his arms, steadying her.</p><p>“I need this blood off me,” Helios spat. “Help me get my armor off.”</p><p>“You are going to strip right—?” Hades deftly dodged her thrown half-helmet. Perhaps cooperation was safest. “Stand still, I can’t unstrap your gauntlets with you fidgeting everywhere.”</p><p>Once her armor was off, Helios promptly stripped off the padding and her underclothes, threw them into the pile, and incinerated the lot of it with a snap of her fingers. Then, she looked at the ocean water with a grimace.</p><p>“The workshop instead?” Hades offered, doing his best not to admire her nude form. How he wished to draw his claws down her curvaceous torso. To taste every inch of her.</p><p>“No, I won’t suffer our workshop to be tainted.” Helios shook her head and conjured a tub, towels, and soap. Then, she shot Hades a pointed look. “Water, please. I am still <em>terrible</em> with it. I’m liable to boil myself instead.”</p><p>Hades stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then did as she asked. He started to turn his back, attempting to be a gentleman, but in impatient huff drew his attention.</p><p>“Oh no you don’t. You are helping me get every speck of this twisted grime out of my hair and off my skin,” Helios informed him sharply. “Else, I will skin myself and be done with it!”</p><p>“…I do not recall you having an aversion to blood, dearest Azem,” Hades sighed, resigned. He joined her, accepting a soapy cloth from her. Leave it to his Azem to conjure a bathtub in the middle of nowhere, just to wash the blood off</p><p>“It’s from those creatures and it makes my skin crawl!” Helios retorted. “And, I’ll have you know, it glows red to my sight. One way or another, it is dangerous.”</p><p>“I see. Then we had best make certain you’ve been completely cleansed before we return.” Hades gently moved her hair out of the way and began working to scrub the blood off her back. After a few minutes of silence, he mustered the courage to ask after what her memories had shown. “Those creatures… They were created by the citizens there?”</p><p>“Did you notice I didn’t let you hear anything?” Helios’s whisper was nearly drowned out by the ocean.</p><p>“That was intentional, then.”</p><p>Helios let out a distressed sigh and leaned back against Hades’s chest, reaching back to grasp a fistful of his robes, pulling his head down closer to hers. “There was this horrendous sound, Hades… From somewhere beneath the ground. As if the star itself were screaming. In an instant, nearly every soul around me erupted with fear. Their creation magics were wrested from their control, and they began creating those…<em>things</em>. Those who hadn’t fallen to that sound were soon killed by their neighbor’s creations or fell to fear and despair themselves. Their creating didn’t cease until they…until they had no aether left to spend. A-and their souls…I-I couldn’t…”</p><p>Hades’s heart ached as he wrapped his arms around his sobbing companion. Even <em>she</em> couldn’t gather their souls? Then where had they <em>gone</em>? What was happening to their star? He shut his eyes tight and stroked Helios’s hair, waiting patiently for her to either calm down or wear herself out.</p><p>A short while later, Helios appeared free of blood, and Hades conjured a robe for her. Though she had stopped openly mourning those whose souls had been lost, one had but to see her eyes to know it weighed on her unlike anything else.</p><p>“We should have someone check to make certain nothing altered you, Helios,” Hades kept his voice gentle, calm, as he cupped her face in one hand. Doing his best to provide an anchor for her tormented soul. She didn’t voice a reply, instead giving a mere nod as consent.</p><p>Hades pulled her against his chest, whisking her away. Before anything else…he <em>had</em> to know she was alright.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Chapter 48</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Eight</h1><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"> </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Hades and Helios stood on a cliff, watching the glow of flames in the distance. Of stars falling from the sky. Even at a distance smoke hung heavy in the air. Wildlife fled, but soon they would have nowhere to run.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“It’s spreading.” Hades narrowed his eyes at the scene, then looked down to his despondent companion. He gave her a warm smile. “Come, dear Azem. If anyone can put an end to this tragedy, it is us. Shall we find the specimen Lahabrea needs?”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">A small smile formed on Helios’s lips, and she looked to Hades sheepishly. “…may I punch it first, at least?”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“So long as you don’t kill it in doing so—Lahabrea said he needs it <em>alive</em>.” Hades ruffled her hair, watching as a hint of life returned to her gaze. A feat that, since the beginning of the madness, it seemed only he was capable of.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“We will have to get closer then. Let’s be cautious.” Helios nodded to Hades, and they set about their task of finding a specimen for their comrade.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Eventually, they came across the team of researchers Lahabrea had dispatched and, after swift deliberation, discovered they knew of a suitable creature—they had simply been unable to capture it on their own.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Hours later, Helios and Hades assisted the researchers in loading the bound Archaeotania onto a ship. Deciding they shouldn’t leave the researchers alone with it, they accompanied them back to Amaurot on the vessel.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Weeks of research passed, and all the while, the star continued to fray. Minor victories, such as evacuating villages here and there or capturing more specimens for study did wonders for revitalizing Helios, and soon she was mostly back to her usual self.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“This being… Zodiark, you call it? You truly believe He could rewrite the laws of creation and stop this calamity?” Altima asked, studying Lahabrea after he had finished his proposal.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“It would come at great cost,” Lahabrea admitted gravely. “The aether required…half our remaining number would have to give of their aether to empower Him.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Yet, time to seek out another solution is running out…” Igeyorhm murmured softly. “Half our people, or the entirety of creation…”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Then we must needs select a heart, in the event we vote to go with this plan,” Elidibus observed, a small frown on his lips. “An entity which embodies life, love, and hope… The instrument of our salvation.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“If He is to wield darkness, then I would be the ideal candidate,” Loghrif spoke, rising to her feet. “And, with my temporal magics, I would be able to buy time for the final blow.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“As would I…” The words escaped Helios’s lips the moment she thought them, and Hades stiffened beside her. “If the prerequisite is the power of darkness…”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Don’t,” Hades spoke softly, his hands curling into fists. <em>Please, I could not bear for you to die, your soul twisting to become that </em>thing<em>…</em></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“It is true your darkness is strong, Helios, but we cannot break the cycle of Life and Death,” Elidibus spoke, giving the pair a smile. “More than ever, we need you both.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><em>Is this not my time to protect Hades?</em> Helios wondered idly, sitting back in her chair, mildly confused. Elidibus’s comment made sense, certainly, but if not her…then who? Finally, she shook her head. “I will continue to pursue my own avenues of investigation. There must be something we’re missing.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">She didn’t even wait for a response before standing and walking out of the room.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Igeyorhm shook her head faintly, then looked to Hades. “Well? What are you waiting for? Go keep an eye on her.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“<em>And be nice</em>,” Loghrif warned knowingly.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Hades bowed slightly, then hurried after Helios. As expected, she hadn’t gotten far in her exhausted state. “Where do you wish to start?”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Helios glanced back in surprise. “I admit… The sound continues to perplex me. It must be coming from somewhere—but where? Is it moving? How do we detect it? There is so much danger I… The entirety of the world becomes red if I try to use my gift.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Then why don’t we consult with Hythlodaeus? He may have some mad scheme—or concept—to permit us to… Nnnggh!” Hades brought a hand to head, wincing as a vision forced its way into his mind. The city on fire, the love of his life turning to crystal—the world shattering along with her.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Hades? Hades, what is it?” Helios exclaimed, catching him before he could fall. She stared at him in disbelief when she spotted the tears in his eyes and escaping his mask. “A vision? Are you…”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“I’ll… I will be fine.” Hades looked away, heart pounding. It couldn’t come to pass. He couldn’t let her end, nor would he suffer the broken world that came after her to exist. “We will not fail…”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Helios’s expression softened. “Here, let’s go see if we can find some concepts to help us in our work.”</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">He let her help him to their feet and accompanied her toward the Bureau of the Architect. As they walked, he studied her. The love of his life? Perhaps, but…no, no he didn’t dare give voice to his feelings. That would make it real—change everything. It could wait until the crisis had been averted.</p>
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<a name="section0049"><h2>49. Chapter 49</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Forty-Nine</h1><p> </p><p>Brow furrowed, Hades pored over his research. There seemed to be something amiss with Lahabrea’s manner as of late, and Hades had taken it upon himself to double-check the man’s concept for Zodiark himself. What he discovered, troubled him. The visions it triggered? Those troubled him even more.</p><p><em>In what manner of world would Helios and I be forced to fight to the death…?</em> Hades shut his eyes in pain, more visions spinning through his mind. Enthrallment. Manipulation. Hunger. If Zodiark were the only way forward, it would enslave the minds of those who summoned it. A flaw in the design, an overlooked calculation—yet there was no time to recalculate. Lahabrea may have been enthralled already, merely from the act of conceiving the design.</p><p>Hades began to pace his room. Could he alter the design in subtle fashion? Cause the entity to release its hold over souls, perhaps upon death? His frown deepened. If he did <em>that</em>, then there would need to be someone strong left, capable of fighting and executing the corrupted members of the Convocation.</p><p>“…Helios,” he whispered softly as it hit him. <em>That</em> must have been why they were fighting in his vision. Zodiark had claimed him, pitting him against the person he cared about most in the world.</p><p>A sigh escaped him. He could right this. If he accepted the visions, studied them, he could do what he did best—<em>scheme</em>. But first…he would need contingencies. A way to preserve Helios’s memories and his. Auracite would do—and he knew <em>precisely</em> where the troublesome woman had hidden all her records.</p><p>
  <em>I promise you we can save our star.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. Chapter 50</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty</h1><p> </p><p>“It’s not as if I didn’t <em>return</em> Ifrita’s concept after I finished…” Helios sighed as she sorted through months and months of complaints lodged against her.</p><p>A knock at the door, and she turned, calling the person in with a friendly tone.</p><p>The intern who rushed in promptly bowed their head in respect. “Most radiant Azem, a letter for you…”</p><p>“A letter? Not another complaint, I hope.” Helios laughed, waving the intern over. “Thank you.”</p><p>Helios waited for the intern to leave, then dropped her false cheer and frowned. <em>A letter? Really? Isn’t that Hades’s handwriting?</em></p><p>“Meet me in Aeacus?” Helios read aloud, tone one of curiosity. She tapped her fingers against her desk, lips pulling into a slight frown. “Hades… What are you plotting this time?”</p><p>She hesitated a moment longer, before standing and casting a teleportation spell, ferrying herself on the currents that linked their earrings. She dusted her robes off upon appearing behind him, then took a moment to study his silhouette.</p><p>Hades stood with his arms loose at his sides, eyes on the night sky as it sparkled above the crashing ocean. To the west, the horizon burned, but not with a sunset. With the coming oblivion.</p><p>“What do you see?” Helios asked, removing her mask and hood as she approached her childhood friend.</p><p>“…it may be best if you do not know.” Hades slowly shook his head, then turned to look at Helios. It was subtle, but his breath seemed to catch, his determination wavering, when he caught sight of her.</p><p>Yet, she was utterly oblivious.</p><p>“It’s been a long time since we were last ‘home’ together,” Helios remarked as she slowed to a stop beside Hades, her eyes on the burning horizon. She didn’t voice her thought, but they both knew it. This would be the last time they <em>could</em> see their old home.</p><p>“I want you to vote in opposition to Zodiark’s creation,” Hades’ quiet plea startled her into turning to face him.</p><p>“What? You’re asking me to abandon our course, our people, our—?!” Helios exclaimed, but Hades reached out and took her face gently in both hands, his expression pained.</p><p>“There is more about His concept they have not told you, or the rest of the Convocation. I confirmed the details myself.” Hades slowly shook his head. “No one is meant to withstand the power we are attempting to create. It will enthrall all present to His will. We <em>must</em> have someone unstained who can—”</p><p>“Then why not you? Your connection to the Underworld is greater than mine!” Helios argued, heart beating in her throat.</p><p>“Because you are our guiding star.” Hades shut his eyes in pain, resting his forehead against hers. “It is your power that we will need to get through this tragedy, not mine. Even should it take a thousand, thousand years…”</p><p>“Hades, I couldn’t possibly…” Helios struggled with herself. “I will be branded a traitor.”</p><p>“I know. But you will be <em>safe</em>.”</p><p>“I can’t betray…” Helios turned away with a frustrated growl and punched the air, sending aether rippling. “Yet, you’re saying it’ll be a betrayal if I <em>don’t</em> go with your plan!”</p><p>“We can mend our broken world,” Hades reassured her with such confidence that even he believed his words. “But for that, you must remain unstained.”</p><p>Helios started to pace, chewing her lower lip.</p><p>Hades knew he was wearing her down, so he continued, “One last grand scheme, that we might secure our future. A tale which requires the both of us to play our parts.”</p><p>“…this tale does not sound as though it will have a happy ending,” Helios stated softly, shoulders slumping. “…especially with your tendency to get cast as the villain.”</p><p>“But it will. You need but have faith—is that not what you always tell me?” Hades walked toward her, pulling her into a hug. “When all is said and done, we will have many more grand schemes to oversee, I promise you.”</p>
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<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Chapter 51</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-One</h1><p> </p><p>“I refuse to abide by this ‘plan,’” Helios announced, her voice resounding through the room like a cracked whip, so confident and commanding, that it took all Hades’s self-control to hold back a sigh of relief. “I cannot conscience these actions, not when they are clearly a bandage for the symptoms, not a cure for the cause.”</p><p>“Then you are stepping down from the seat of Azem?” Lahabrea narrowed his eyes at her.</p><p>“I intend to continue seeking a permanent solution to this crisis,” Helios countered, her eyes narrowing. “The Convocation clearly outnumbers me in the vote—your plan will continue without me. However, I thought I might have the Convocation’s blessing to continue seeking a permanent solution.</p><p>“After all, a solution will still be required after <em>your</em> god performs His task.”</p><p>Igeyorhm placed a hand on the fuming Lahabrea’s arm and nodded to Helios.</p><p>Likewise, Elidibus turned a peaceful smile to his idol. “Azem, we would not cast you out for disagreeing with us. If you wish to focus your efforts elsewhere, I, for one, will support you in whatever way I may.”</p><p>Murmurs of agreement rose throughout the room, and Lahabrea scowled. “<em>Fine</em>, but you will work alone. We need Emet-Selch’s abilities here.”</p><p>“I understand.” Helios nodded as Hades reached for her hand under the table. “If there are no further objections, I would like to get to work.”</p><p>“Go.” Lahabrea flapped a hand at her.</p><p><em>‘Be careful, Helios,’</em> Hades warned.</p><p><em>‘I will. I’m going to drop by Hyth and pick up the new armor concept he’s been working on for me,’</em> Helios answered as she left the meeting hall. Then…the odd sense she was being watched caught her attention. <em>‘Hey…Hades?’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘What is it?’</em>
</p><p><em>‘Please don’t be angry, I’m speaking to my instincts here,’</em> Helios prefaced, her lips tugging into a frown. <em>‘But…if I disappear, you should know that all my auracite is hidden under a floorboard in our workshop.’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘Disappear…? What—’</em>
</p><p>Helios withheld a scowl. <em>‘I’m being watched, and it doesn’t feel friendly. Promise me. If I disappear, if you think something has happened to me, preserve the chronicle of my life somehow. Then, years from now when this is all over…’</em></p><p><em>‘I promise,’</em> Hades whispered. <em>‘Please, I am begging you—be careful. Not just because I need you for our plans. I…I care deeply about you, Helios. I cannot lose you.’</em></p><p><em>‘I will be careful.’</em> Helios shut her eyes briefly, willing away the fluttering of her heart. This wasn’t the time to question his choice of words. She had an apocalypse to halt.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. Chapter 52</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-Two</h1><p> </p><p>“Well, well, well!” A familiar voice exclaimed, drawing Helios out of her unconscious state. She lay face down in the dirt, blood pulled around her and her armor torn to ribbons. Her hair was matted with blood and ash, her gaze unable to focus on the people approaching her. “So resilient! I might have expected as much from the radiant Azem. Why, I find myself quite starstruck.”</p><p>“Pack her up and take her to headquarters. She can’t do anything—the poison will see to that,” this voice, a female, was unfamiliar to her.</p><p>A hand struck her across the face, followed by maniacal laughter. “Yes, I think our lord will be most pleased.”</p><p>Helios snarled and tried to bring her power to bear, then something struck the side of her head, and she collapsed.</p><p>* * *</p><p>“You cannot find her either?” Hades asked, his gaze on the floor as he heard Hythlodaeus’s slow approach.</p><p>“No, I’ve no idea where she could have been taken.” Hythlodaeus gave his friend an apologetic look. “…you said Lahabrea saw fit to name her a defector due to this disappearance? Is aught amiss?”</p><p>A bitter laugh escaped Hades. “That may be putting it lightly, my friend. Come, help me look under the floorboards of her room—there is…there is something I should do for her before the Convocation’s plan is put in action.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Chapter 53</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-Three</h1><p> </p><p><em>Why can’t I reach Hades…?</em> Helios stared out from her cell with dull eyes, watching as fire rained down upon Amaurot, destroying the city that had become her home.</p><p>Then, a surge of brilliant light tinged in violet—an angelic entity larger even than Amaurot appeared, wearing the face of the Emissary, its form shining with all the souls used to summon Him forth. A graceful motion of hands, and it was as if everything she saw warped, shifted, and wove itself back together. The sky cleared, yet the city continued to burn.</p><p>
  <em>‘Hades… Hythlodaeus? Anyone? I…’</em>
</p><p><em>‘Helios? What in the world?’</em> Hythlodaeus’s voice burst into her mind. <em>‘Never before have we… Never mind that! Where </em>are<em> you? We looked everywhere, while we still could.’</em></p><p>
  <em>‘We…only have so much time. I need you to prepare something for me, or all of Hades’s scheming will be for naught.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Anything, my friend. anything. Tell me—’</em>
</p><p>Helios’s heart sunk as the connection faded.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. Chapter 54</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-Four</h1><p> </p><p><em>How much time has passed?</em> Helios opened her eyes, the taste of blood in her mouth. Lips cracked, her stomach gurgling with hunger and her throat like sandpaper.</p><p>Wounds stung from head to toe, a reminder of the torture she had experienced the last time she was awake. She closed her eyes again. <em>I will not help them summon their false god.</em></p><p>Searching her thoughts, she contemplated her next move. She was too weakened to escape her captors, and Hades was still beyond her reach. Hythlodaeus, she hadn’t been able to hear since Zodiark’s first summoning. A second summoning, she was told, had been performed to heal the star.</p><p>Nearly three quarters of Amaurot’s peoples, gone. Fuel for Zodiark’s work. Work which He completed successfully, she had to admit.</p><p>Yet…now her captors were close to finishing their answer to Zodiark. They intended to stop a third sacrifice—though, Helios struggled to determine what the Convocation intended to sacrifice.</p><p>Opening her eyes, Helios cautiously examined her dingy cell. The crude shackles which bound her in place. Other people filled the cells, all held in stasis, waiting for their captor’s judgment.</p><p><em>They’re almost done with their preparations, aren’t they…</em> Helios hauled herself into a sitting position and slumped back against the wall, hair hanging over her face. <em>It will take most of my strength…but… I must reach Hythlodaeus. He’s my remaining hope. Perhaps…perhaps I can influence his dreams?</em></p><p>Helios concentrated, seeking out her friend’s aether. Her heart leapt with hope upon finding the familiar resonance, unaltered by Zodiark’s influence. A vision, she could divulge to him everything he needed to know in a single dream.</p><p>After reconstructing their workshop in Hythlodaeus’s mind, Helios guided his dreams, bending his steps into that place. For herself, she kept her damaged, battered body hidden beneath her Convocation robes.</p><p>
  <em>“Helios, my friend!” Hythlodaeus greeted her with a tired smile. “Your soul still wavers. We are running out of time?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Yes…yes. I have a concept I need you to see to for me, Hythlodaeus,” Helios answered, her voice a weak whisper. His lips pulled into a frown as he studied her. “Hyth, I need you to sit down and listen. I have to tell </em>someone<em> the details of what has happened.”</em></p><p>
  <em>He nodded and motioned for her to sit, but she remained standing, pacing slowly as she explained the situation to him. Betrayal from within the Convocation, a poisoning to weaken her, and her subsequent capture…and all the plans she had overheard her captors speak of.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Once he was updated in that regard, Helios conjured a crystal and handed into him. “We are going to need to shield the city. I…I think these will work as anchor points, but I will need them strewn throughout Amaurot. However, I haven’t been able to work on the details.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hythlodaeus took the crystal and studied the concept held within, his lips pulling into a tight line. “Helios, this spell… You might not survive it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I know.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He stood and paced over to one of the nearby tables.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Anchors every three yalms around the city’s perimeter should do the trick,” Hythlodaeus remarked, studying a map and marking it with a pen. “Have you spoken to Hades since Zodiark’s summoning?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A sigh escaped Helios. “No. I can’t even project near the Capitol building, and my warnings have gone unheard. Hades was right, Zodiark isn’t…sophisticated enough for the nuances of life and our star.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“And you never told him that you love… Of course you didn’t. Couldn’t go ‘ruining’ his scheme, could you?” Hythlodaeus shook his head. “You are stronger than most, I admit. Your judgment is…sound, for the longevity of the star at least. In your shoes, I’m uncertain I could choose the same. Even if the world was crumpling around me, I would wish for my loved ones to know how I felt. Yet… You know doing so would destroy our friend’s resolve and his mind.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Now…tell me what this array is for. A barrier, I can discern, but why?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Helios wavered briefly on her feet, then pulled down the front of her robe to reveal the wounds peppering her skin. Hideous bruises, deep lacerations, and the marks of torture tools. Hythlodaeus’ eyes widened in horror.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Because, Hyth… I will be slain to…to summon forth…” Helios shook her head hard as light encroached on her vision. “If I don’t act, Hydaelyn will dash all of our dear friend’s plans. I…I must resist the Underworld long enough to shield Amaurot and the Convocation, at least. If the city isn’t preserved there won’t be anything left for Hades to…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Helios stumbled, and Hythlodaeus rushed to her side, attempting to catch her, but his hands passed through her torso. “Helios… Helios! You can’t leave him alone—hold on!”</em>
</p><p>Back in her cell, Helios collapsed from exhaustion, her aether spent. Before sleep claimed her, she prayed that Hythlodaeus would understand it was no mere dream. That she had entrusted everything to him, for she could do naught else to prepare.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. Chapter 55</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-Five</h1><p> </p><p>“Leave us,” a feminine voice spoke, rousing Helios from her nightmares. She opened her eyes to find an unfamiliar soul standing before her, lips turned down in a disapproving frown. “Azem, yes?”</p><p>“Who are you?” Helios rasped, watching as the other woman’s lips pressed into a taut line.</p><p>“The leader of these peoples… Though soon I will become the Heart of Hydaelyn.” The woman looked around the decrepit holding cells. “Given your connections, I imagine you have sensed how wrong our star has become.”</p><p>“And how wrong you and yours are about to make it. Leave me.” Helios looked away from the woman in disgust. “I didn’t decline your offered hand just to have my involvement forced. Neither Zodiark nor Hydaelyn are the way forward. They will tear the star apart.”</p><p>“Lest you misunderstand, I had no involvement in your capture—or in the capture of these others.” The woman answered. “In fact… I have come to beg your forgiveness, and for your help.”</p><p>Helios scoffed. “You expect me to believe that?”</p><p>“Much like the Convocation, we have intruders among our number,” the woman responded. “They are conspiring to overpower my soul and take over Hydaelyn for their own goals. The people here, they have been brought as sacrifice to empower Her further once I am overridden.”</p><p>“…they aren’t here for Her summoning?” Helios asked begrudgingly.</p><p>The woman shook her head. “No. The twelve of us intended to give ourselves to summon Her into being. Someone among our number has overreached.”</p><p>“Yet you’re not going to set us free,” Helios pointed out, her eyes narrowing.</p><p>“Preparations for Her summoning have begun. It is too late—and we cannot risk you alerting our enemy. This star <em>will</em> belong to the new life upon it.” The woman glowered at Helios when she scoffed. “I wish for you to join your power to mine, that I can maintain control over Hydaelyn. Together—”</p><p>“Get out of my sight,” Helios stated, turning her fiery gaze to the offensive woman. “You <em>dare</em> come before me and seek help to twist the star further? To war against our people? I refuse. Leave me.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Chapter 56</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h1>Chapter Fifty-Six</h1><p> </p><p>Helios awoke, feeling numerous hands pulling her to her feet. Blood covered them, the scent causing her stomach to drop. The aether felt wrong, shaken by successive shockwaves.</p><p>“Take her to the others,” a voice sneered and, a moment later someone shoved at Helios’s back. “The time has come to empower our Mother, that she may strike the final blow.”</p><p>Helios tried to resist, but weakened as she was, it was a simple matter for them to knock her off her feet and drag her to a nearby room. Corpses maimed and bloodied littered the edges of the room. Sacrifices for their answer to Zodiark. Bile rose in Helios’s throat when she beheld the horrors. Their souls, gone. Their bodies beaten beyond recognition. Her entire being rebelled. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.</p><p>The whispers of the Underworld filled Helios’s mind, desperate, pulling her in many directions.</p><p>
  <em>You can yet save our lord! Let us help you!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then, he can save you!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And our star will be saved!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Even should it take a thousand, thousand years, you will save the star!</em>
</p><p>“Fools, false gods isn’t how— The words barely left Helios lips before a blade of crystal pierced through her chest.</p><p>Blood spilled from her lips and torso, sickening light pouring forth from the blade. Helios’s darkness roiled and lashed out. The Underworld screamed in fury, flooding her senses. Joining its strength to hers as she rebelled against the accursed, twisted light.</p><p><em>Hear, feel, think…</em>fear<em>. Hunt the Darkness, my children, and bring Him low.</em></p><p>Pure rage filled every fiber of Helios’s being, rebelling against the false god’s pull. She whirled on her attacker, stealing their accursed blade and using it to decapitate them.</p><p>
  <em>…for in shattering this star, victory shall be ours…</em>
</p><p>Helios cursed internally, reaching out with her aether in desperation. Hoping, praying that Hythlodaeus had managed to deliver upon her pleas and instructions. In seconds, she felt the auracite-capped devices littered around Amaurot’s outskirts, providing her with anchor points.</p><p>That would do. <em>But where is Hades? One of us…one of us had to survive this. Lord of the Underworld… Hades, I am sorry, but it must be you.</em></p><p>Helios staggered as a coughing fit overcame her. Blood and liquid light splattered from her mouth to stain her hands and the floor. Her vision blurred, the Underworld’s grip loosening.</p><p>There was no time.</p><p>Helios reached out with the spell she usually reserved for teleporting her friends to her side…and instead traveled its currents to Hades’s location. The rooftop of the capitol building, where he stood with Lahabrea and Elidibus. In the distance, Hydaelyn and Zodiark fought, their blows making the world shudder. Each blow sending a thrum of pain through Helios’s entire being.</p><p>The shifting of robes, a gasp of horror</p><p>“Helios?!” Hades’sx voice cracked with despair. Her soul. Why couldn’t he see it?</p><p>Helios steeled herself. Of course, he was the first to see through the wounds, the blood, the torn and unrecognizable robes.</p><p>“What happened—”</p><p>“There’s…there’s no time,” Helios managed to answer, bringing her hands up to construct a shield between then and the warring gods. “They intend…intend to…”</p><p>“Who did this to you, Azem?” Elidibus exclaimed. Despite having become the heart of Zodiark…that youthful, reverent tone was still there.</p><p>“She…didn’t defect…” Lahabrea’s horrified whisper was nearly drowned out by the warring guards. “No, Emet-Selch, you mustn’t get close! Elidibus, help me restrain him!”</p><p>Robes rustled, desperate sobs filled the air as Elidibus and Lahabrea struggled to hold a distraught Hades back. Helios shut her eyes in pain. She couldn’t let herself tell him what he meant to her. Not if seeing her in such a state already had him so broken.</p><p>“Hydaelyn…Her followers. A sacrifice, to…” Helios wavered on her feet, the Underworld swelling to reinforce her against the intrusive Light. “Hades, forgive me. I won’t be able to keep that promise. After this, I—”</p><p>Helios’s voice failed her as she drew on every ilm of darkness she carried, that she had been cultivating during her captivity. She reached for the beacons Hythlodaeus had distributed throughout the city and began to pour her power into them to construct a timeless shield over Amaurot.</p><p>
  <em>…hear…feel…think…</em>
</p><p>“No! I will not let you destroy them and everything we have built! You may have orchestrated my demise, but…but…”</p><p>“Helios, please don’t—” Hades gasped, dropping to his knees as he strained against his compeers, eyes wide with horror as he began to notice the finer details of her torn form.</p><p>Darkness poured from her very being at an alarming rate. Blood darkened her skin and torn robes. The telltale mark of a blade sat over her torso, the exit point on her back.</p><p>Through her. He could <em>see through her.</em></p><p>Stabbed through the heart, her soul was turning, struggling against the will of Hydaelyn, yet on she fought with what life she had left.</p><p>Then, the final blow. Reality itself screamed as the fulgent shockwave swept through everything.</p><p>
  <em>“…if you intend to stand against Us…we will…”</em>
</p><p>The crackling of crystal, flesh turning to clearest crystal. Light condensing, then breaking free of its host in white-hot rays of agony. When one beam didn’t make her fall, more gathered.</p><p>Hades screamed for her as the molten beams melted holes in the ground mere inches from him.</p><p>Like a drop of ink in an ocean, she spent her remaining strength, pulling her friends’ souls from their forms and casting their bodies in stone.</p><p><em>‘Helios, </em>stop<em>! You… You are drawing on the energies of your very life! Please stop!’</em> His soul strained to reach her but recoiled when met by blinding, dead Light. The shock caused his soul to drift to a stop. Turned. Her soul had already turned, yet she had overpowered Hydaelyn by sheer force of will.</p><p>“Just enough. Just long enough to…” Helios wavered as the rest of her darkness dissipated into her own Great Work, what little of her life remained fading from her eyes. The tinkling sound of crystal as Helios’s body was overtaken by crystal. A monument against the Usurper.</p><p>“Let me go to her!” Hades screamed, his voice raw, but Zodiark and the Underworld conspired to keep him away from the crystalized woman.</p><p>Then, the sound of breaking glass. The star shuddered as Hydaelyn landed her final blow, and the star twisted.</p><p>Hades looked on in horror as Helios’s form shattered, sparkling debris drifting in the winds, swept away into oblivion. He searched, desperate to find her soul.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Not even the faintest wisp of life.</p><p>He fell to his knees by where she had stood seconds before. A glint pulled his gaze—her earring, and a piece of blue auracite just as small as the piece of jewelry.</p><p>That was all that remained.</p><p>“Murdered…body and soul…” his voice cracked with emotion, hoarse from screaming. The star deteriorated around them, splintering, unrecognizable. Zodiark, bloodied and broken by the Usurper, cast in earth and sent into the heavens.</p><p>“We cannot stay here!” Elidibus exclaimed, rushing forward, and grasping Hades by one shoulder.</p><p>A reverberation in the aether and familiar power swept the three members of the Convocation away, depositing them in an unrecognizable space.</p><p><em>…Hythlodaeus too…</em> Hades dropped to the dark crystalline floor. Thousands of faint vibrations, souls returning to the Underworld—but altered. Weaker. “How did it come to this…”</p><p>Elidibus and Lahabrea looked away from their companion, knowing nothing they could do would console him. Hesitation, then they left him to grieve.</p>
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